


What's Love Got To Do With It?

by hafoosi



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Childhood Friends, Depression, Developing Relationship, Drama, Eating Disorders, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Enemies, Friendship, High School, Implied/Referenced Sex, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Useless Lesbians, catradora, kyle is love kyle is life, mom of the year award goes to scorpia, shadow weaver being shadow weaver, somebody protect catra, will try to include all characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-09-01 05:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16758535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hafoosi/pseuds/hafoosi
Summary: After finally getting out of the Horde Orphanage, Catra is enrolled in Bright Moon High. Everyone there is too cheerful, and what she hates most is the fact that her former childhood friend is also a student.There's no way she's forgiving her for leaving.





	1. Chapter 1

**Friday, December 25, 2009**

All children of the Horde Orphanage must be in bed by 8:00 p.m. sharp. It is a rule that must be abided by every child, no matter what day it was. If a child was caught wandering the corridors after hours, Shadow Weaver would catch them and whip them with a belt 50 times. Shadow Weaver was the nickname given to one of the matrons of the orphanage by the children.

If such as punishment would be given, what was one child doing creeping around the hallways?

She tiptoed as carefully as she could, passing by Shadow Weaver's quarters. She knew the route. She knew how silent she needed to be. She knew how much the whipping would affect her the next morning.

It was the night after Christmas, and she really wanted to grab another gingerbread cookie. Kyle was a pretty good baker for an 8 year old.

Her ears twitched, listening for anyone that might be approaching. No one was nearby. She sighed in relief. Finally reaching the kitchen, she reached for a cookie and realized there were none left. She frowned. Didn't Shadow Weaver tell them to leave a few so they wouldn't get fat and ugly and no one would want to adopt them?

"Looking for this?" she turned around so fast she almost snapped her neck. Standing in front of the kitchen entrance was another girl, a bit taller than her. She was blond, missing her two front teeth. She also had the last few gingerbread cookies in her hand.

"Adora!" the other girl's tail whipped back and forth. "What are you doing here? You're gonna get us caught!"

"As if you're not!" Adora hissed. "I can hear your claws scratch the walls from a mile away."

"Whatever," the girl rolled her eyes. "Gimme a cookie."

"Say the magic word."

"Please, give me the cookie, Adora! I really really want it!"

Adora smiled. "Okay, okay, here you go."

The girl happily purred as she was given the cookie. She devoured it within seconds.

"Hey, Adora?"

"Yeah, Catra?"

"Merry Christmas," Catra grinned as she hugged her tightly.

Adora hugged back. "Merry Christmas, Catra."

The door slammed open. They both jumped in surprise and fear as they came face to face with Shadow Weaver.

"You!" the woman angrily pointed to Catra. "You never learn your lesson, do you, you impudent animal!"

Catra flinched and began to cry. Adora stood in front of her in a defensive stance.

"I was the one who dragged her out here!" Adora said confidently. "Punish me, not her!"

"Do not lie!" Shadow Weaver growled. "She obviously told you to lie for her, didn't she! Perhaps I should increase it to 100 whips!"

Catra held onto Adora, shaking violently. "She didn't make me do anything!" Adora yelled. "Please, give us a chance. You can't punish her on Christmas!"

Shadow Weaver pinched the bridge of her nose. "To your rooms. _Now."_

The two ran off as quick as they could, holding each other's hands firmly. They got to their room and quickly got into bed.

"Catra, how come you never sleep on your own bed?" Adora asked.

"I..." Catra looked away. "I get scared. And I feel not scared when I'm with you."

Adora smiled softly. "Okay, I just wanted to know. Don't worry, I like sleeping with you. I feel not scared when I'm with you, too."

"Hey, Adora? Will you... will you always be with me?"

Adora paused for a bit before answering. "Of course. You're my best friend. I'd never leave you."

Catra smiled back and cuddled into bed. "Goodnight, Adora."

"Goodnight, Catra."

They didn't know that this would be the last time they slept together in that bed.

* * *

"Lonnie, where's Adora?"

Catra woke up the next morning lying on Adora's bed, alone. That was normal. What wasn't normal was that everything Adora owned was gone.

"You mean, you don't know?" Lonnie raised an eyebrow. "Well, I should've guessed you'd be the only one. Adora's gone. So is Kyle."

"What do you mean, gone?" Catra gulped.

"What do you think, genius?" Lonnie rolled her eyes. "They got adopted."

Catra's heart dropped. She clenched her fists so tightly and ended up drawing blood. The tears wouldn't stop spilling as she ran to Adora's bed. She threw herself on it and cried her heart out.

Catra lifted her head to look at the drawing she had made of them on the wall. It was a sucky drawing of her and Adora, but it was still a symbol of their everlasting friendship.

Once the sadness started to leave, anger filled her. She screamed and sobbed as she ripped the bed and scratched the drawing on the wall. How could Adora just leave her? She didn't even say goodbye. They didn't have phones. How were they supposed to keep in touch?

Then it dawned on Catra. What if... this was her plan all along? To cut off her ties with Catra after getting adopted? What if this whole time, she was just waiting for a chance to leave her behind?

"I thought you said you'd never leave."

Catra got 50 whips that day for behavioural issues. She didn't feel a thing, for nothing could hurt her as much as Adora leaving had.


	2. Chapter 2

**March 5, 2014**

Scorpia's driver parked the cherry red Chevy in front of the Horde Orphanage and she headed inside. She was, needless to say, _very_ nervous. Why?

Today, she was going to adopt a child.

Well, not really. She was only 18, mind you. And she wasn't doing this because she chose to. A week ago, she had received a letter from her father who was currently living overseas. He had told her about the final wish made by two good friends of his who had died in a fire. They wished for him to take in their daughter. However, since he was in another country, and a very busy man, he simply didn't have time to take care of her.

That's where Scorpia came into play.

She had always wanted a sister. All her father had to do was send them enough funds monthly, and they would be fine. Money wasn't an object for them. They were a Royal family, which meant they were pretty rich.

Scorpia wasn't alone. She had tons of maids who took care of her. But she was still lonely. When she read her father's letter, she was overjoyed. She had so many questions running through her head, and she couldn't wait to ask the girl; Catra Morales was her name, according to her father.

She was led to the children. Many of them were either playing or napping. There was only one girl who sat in the corner of the room, glaring at everyone. Scorpia knew she was the one she was looking for.

She walked over to Catra. "Hi! My name is Scorpia. Are you Catra Morales?"

Catra's tail was raised slightly. "...Just Catra."

"Really?" asked Scorpia. "Wait, do you even know your last name?"

"I've been here since I was 3, of course I don't know," Catra snapped at her. "What do you want?"

"My dad was good friends with your parents," Scorpia said, handing Catra a picture. It was Scorpia's father standing with Catra's parents. "I guess you don't remember them, huh? Your mom's name was Vera, and your dad's name was Mateo Morales. They told us to find you if they ever got hurt. It took really long to find y-"

Scorpia paused when she saw the tears run down Catra's cheeks as she looked at the picture. She immediately hugged her.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"You're awfully quiet."

After Scorpia brought Catra home, the cat girl was currently lying down on the sofa, not making a sound. 

"I thought I was never gonna get out of there," Catra spoke quietly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Scorpia shook her head. "Thank _you_ for agreeing to come with me. I can't wait to learn all about you!"

"There's not much to learn," Catra shrugged. "My name's Catra. I'm 12 years old. I grew up in the Horde Orphanage. My parents were Hispanic so I was allowed to take Spanish lessons so that I'd be fluent in the language. I didn't want to... to lose the only thing that connected us..."

"That's cool," Scorpia nodded. "It's awesome how you're fluent. Spanish is hard. Got any hobbies, Catra?"

"I doodle," Catra replied, taking out a notebook from her worn out backpack and handing it to Scorpia. 

"Oh, wow!" Scorpia grinned. "These are amazing! Is this one a friend of yours?"

Catra's face darkened when she realized Scorpia was pointing to the drawing she made when she was 6 of Adora and her. She ripped out the drawing, crumpled it up and threw it away somewhere.

"Ooh, I'm guessing you're not on good terms with them," Scorpia smiled apologetically. 

"She was my best friend," Catra muttered angrily. "She promised she would never leave me. No one ever keeps their promises."

"Well, what if I make a promise to you?" Scorpia asked. "I will never leave you. Family sticks together."

Catra looked away.

"Hey, do you wanna learn how to play guitar?" 

Her tail and ears perked up. "...You'd teach me?"

"Sure!" said Scorpia. "It takes a lot of practice, but if you're up for it, I'll definitely teach you!"

Catra smiled. "Cool. Can't wait."

* * *

**Wednesday, January 24, 2017**

"Hey, Catra! Get up!"

Carra pulled the covers over her head. She stayed up all night trying to figure out where her sketchbook had gone, so she wasn't in the mood to really... wake up today.

"Leave me alone," she groaned.

"You can't be late for your first day at your new school, kiddo," Scorpia said.

"I don't care," Catra growled. "I'm fucking tired."

Scorpia had gotten used to Catra's vulgar way of speaking, since the younger girl swore almost all the time. But she couldn't let her sleep in.

"Is that a mouse?"

"Where?!" Catra jumped out of bed. As soon as she got up, Scorpia threw a pair of jeans at her. "Fuck you."

"Love you, too," Scorpia snickered. "Get ready quick."

Catra slipped on the jeans and put on an over-sized sweatshirt. She didn't bother combing her hair, and the only makeup she put on was a bit of mascara. Her tail dragged along the floor, a sign that she was in a bad mood.

After Catra was taken in, she attended a school that had Grades 6 to 9. She went to another school in Grade 10 and 11 where she was bullied constantly, so she was pulled out right away. Now, she would be attending the same high school that Scorpia worked at as an assistant teacher, Bright Moon High. She'd seen how the students were whenever she had to go with Scorpia because the older girl had forgotten something. Way too happy for her liking. No teenager smiled as much as those weirdos did. She tried asking Scorpia if she could attend Hordak High, which, although owned by the same man who owned the Horde Orphanage, was way cooler than Bright Moon in her opinion. Scorpia told her that Shadow Weaver had decided to become a teacher there, and that made the cat girl immediately shut up about it. That woman had messed her up completely. She never wanted to see her again. 

That's how she ended up agreeing to go to Scorpia's school.

"As long as I don't talk to anyone, I should be fine," Catra grumbled. 

* * *

Scorpia parked her car and got out. She noticed that Catra wasn't getting up.

"Can I just, like, stay here?" Catra asked. 

"If you don't get out right now," Scorpia crossed her arms. "I'm not gonna let you play Gibson."

Catra gasped at the mention of Scorpia's guitar. "You dirty shit. How dare you bring Gibby into this? Alright, fine, I'm getting out."

She followed Scorpia into the school. Just as she expected, it was extremely colorful and there were motivational posters everywhere she turned. It was _disgusting._

A bunch of girls were running around, excited for god knows what. Some guys were playing football. Some kids were just hanging around. However, what they all had in common was that they were all smiling. One girl ran over to them.

"Hi, Scorpia!" she smiled widely. "Catra, I can't believe you agreed to enroll!" She leaped onto her.

"Get off me, Entrapta," Catra deadpanned. "I didn't want to, it's just that the other school has a certain teacher I'm not going anywhere near. Even if it means I have to come to this hellhole." 

Entrapta grinned widely. "What's your schedule?"

"History, Bio, Phys.Ed, and Math," Catra said, shoving her hands into her pockets. 

"Ooh, we have Math together!" Entrapta clapped her hands. "Ah, but that's the only course we share, sadly. I wish I could be in your other classes!"

"So do I," Catra replied. "Now I have to sit with someone else. Fuck this stupid schedule."

"Make some friends, you hermit," Scorpia ruffled her hair. "I'm gonna head to my class. You have your phone, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, get lost," Catra waved dismissively. Scorpia playfully shoved her and left. 

"I'll walk you to class," Entrapta linked arms with her, despite Catra trying to pull away. "Don't want you to get lost!"

"I'm not a fucking baby, I can walk to class myself," Catra growled.

"I know," Entrapta smiled. "But I wanna see you off. Is that wrong?"

Catra grumbled to herself but didn't bother pulling away.

They reached the classroom Catra was having History in 3 minutes. Entrapta waved to Catra as she ran off. The cat girl peered into the class, doing a quick survey of what kind of people were there.

One girl who seemed uninterested in everything sat near the window. Another girl with pink and purple hair was talking to a boy in a crop top. Once again, a really good vibe filled the air and it was intervening with her own negative one, something she didn't want at the moment. 

She quietly slipped in and sat behind the bored girl. Of course, someone spotted her. Some hipster girl with flowers in her hair. 

"Omigosh, you must be new!" she said. "Guys, look, it's a new student! What's your name?"

She wasn't asking so much as she was yelling. "Catra Morales."

"My name is Perfuma Rodriguez," the hipster girl said. "Oh, I can't wait for us to become besties as the year passes!"

Catra visibly cringed. "Look, can you-"

"I'm Bow Scribner!" the crop top boy smiled. "Nice to meet you! What's your favorite subject? What do you think you'll like this year? Are your ears and tail real? Why are your eyes a different color? Wait, can you see in the d-"

"Can you please shut the _fuck_ up?" Catra hissed, causing the entire class to go silent. "I don't care about any of you. I just wanna get through the next year and a half. I don't _want_ to make any friends."

More silence. The teacher for History walked in with a surprised expression. "Wow, I think this is the first time you guys were quiet when I walked in. Oh, are you Ms. Morales? My name is Mr.Kowl. I'll be teaching you History as well as acting as your homeroom teacher, so I'm here if you need anything."

Catra nodded, not wanting to speak anymore. She sincerely hoped that her outburst would cause the others to avoid her, maybe even _fear_ her. She popped in her earbuds when the teacher wasn't looking and put on Anywhere But Here by Mayday Parade.

* * *

Next was Bio, where they would be dissecting frogs under the supervision of Ms.Rose. Catra didn't get why everyone was so grossed out. They had the same organs in them, anyway. It wasn't even that gross compared to how chummy everyone was with each other. Well, at least they left her alone now. The problem now, though, was finding a partner. Why did she even need one? She can do it herself.

The lab door slammed open. "Sorry I'm late! I slept through my alarm."

Catra's eyes widened. That scent. She knew it very well. It couldn't be...

"No problem," Ms.Rose smiled. "We're dissecting frogs and labeling the organs today. You'll be working with the new student, Catra Morales. Catra, this is Adora Carrero. You two will be working at that table over there."

The two girls weren't listening to her. They were too busy staring at each other in shock. In that moment, Catra could feel everything resurfacing. All the pain and anger. How dare she? How dare she disappear for 9 years, and then just come back into her life like that?

At the same time, Adora was freaking out internally. _Catra_ was here. The same Catra she grew up with back at the orphanage. Adora was still taller than her, but she had become more mature-looking. She had a cool vibe to her. Adora didn't know whether to feel happy or hesitant. She knew Catra. She knew the girl was angry. Not to mention the furious glare she was giving as a hint to how she was feeling right now.

"I guess we should go to the-" Adora didn't get to finish before Catra stomped past her to the lab station. The blonde girl sighed and followed her.

"So, uh," she fiddled with her fingers. "How have you been?"

Catra's eyes seemed to glow in anger, but she didn't speak. Adora forgot how scary she could be sometimes.

"Did you get adopted right away, or...?"

"I hate you."

Adora flinched. "E-Excuse me?"

"I. Fucking. Hate. You," Catra stared her at her directly, her tone becoming threatening. "What we had in the past is gone. I don't want to be your friend, and don't even _think_ about talking to me ever, _or else._ Got it?"

Adora was pale. She never felt this scared by Catra, yet here they were. "O-Okay."

That class might've been the longest one she ever had to sit through.

* * *

Adora sat with her group of friends at lunch, as always. Her former best friend seemingly disappeared after bio was over. Not that she was planning to go after her. Catra delivered her message loud and clear and Adora was going to abide by it because she kind of liked being alive.

Glimmer Fukuhara, one of her best friends, was busy ranting about the cat girl.

"Can you believe how rude she is?" Glimmer exclaimed. "The girl just got here and she already thinks she owns the place!"

"I don't know what I did wrong," Bow frowned. "All I did was ask her questions about herself! Is that a crime?"

"She's vulgar, as well," Perfuma added. "I bet she's one of _those_ people. Like, the ones that smoke and drink all the time. I did smell some cigar smoke coming from her."

Adora couldn't believe how Catra had turned out. She used to be so sweet and innocent. People change, sometimes for better or for worse. And from what she was hearing, Catra had become much worse.

"I actually kinda like her," her other friend, Mermista Lovell, spoke up in her usual bored tone. "She's the type of person who's, like, _real._ I dunno how to explain it."

"Y'know what, let's just forget about her for now," Adora said. "Glimmer, how did your chemistry class go?"

"I almost set Mr.Austen on fire," Glimmer replied. "But other than that, it went well."

"Guys," Bow said. "I really really _really_ wanna do something this weekend. Let's go to the movies!"

"What's playing?" Adora asked.

"Ooh, can we watch the Bye Bye Man?" Glimmer asked excitedly.

"N-No way, I hate horror movies!" Bow grimaced. "What about Monster Trucks?"

"I wanna see 20th Century Women!" Perfuma said. "Adora, what do you think we should watch?"

Adora was thinking about Catra again, so she didn't notice everyone staring at her until 5 seconds later. "Sorry, what?"

"Is something wrong, Adora?" asked Perfuma.

"O-Oh, no, everything's fine," Adora chuckled uneasily. "I was just thinking about... _stuff._ What's up?"

"What movie should we go see?" asked Bow.

"Maybe we can just go to Glimmer's house and watch Lion King again?" Adora suggested.

"I think that's a good idea," Perfuma nodded. "Everyone has to bring a snack, and we'll order pizza too."

"Can you get one with pineapple?" asked Bow. 

Glimmer wrinkled her nose. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What, it's good!" Bow exclaimed defensively.

The bell rang. They packed up and headed to their classes. Adora hoped she didn't have a class with Catra again.

* * *

She was wrong.

Phys.Ed., which was probably her favorite class, was also attended by Catra. Glimmer was there as well, but that only made things a little better.

"Hurry up, girls!" Ms.Bennett yelled. "Looking good, new kid!"

Catra was in the lead, right beside Adora. It seemed almost unfair that while Adora was breathing heavily and sweating like crazy, Catra barely broke a sweat. Maybe it was some cat thing.

Catra ignored the blond girl beside her and pressed forward, ending up in first place.

"Very nice," Ms.Bennett nodded. "Looks like you've got some competition, Carrero."

Adora looked at Catra, feeling something akin to jealousy. Catra looked back at her and smirked victoriously.

Glimmer was the seventh person to finish. She ran to Adora and patted her on the back.

"I'm sure you'll beat her next time," Glimmer smiled. "After all, you're the captain of the soccer team. No one is as fast as you."

"Yeah, you're right," Adora took a deep breath. "I'll win next class."

* * *

Seeing Adora become so annoyed filled Catra with joy. She couldn't wait to toy with her even more and envoke those reactions out of her again.

She was as competitive as always, and that was her weak point.

Catra walked to the car to find a note on the dashboard.

_I can't believe you already got everyone scared of you on your first day. Also, is it true you met Adora again? You two should meet up and reconcile._

_I'm gonna be staying at school for a while to help out. The keys to the car are in your backpack, and spaghetti's in the fridge._

_Love ya, pussycat._

Catra rolled her eyes. She told Scorpia not to call her that. And when the hell did the older woman slip her car keys into her bag?

"Sly bitch," Catra muttered. She started the car and was about to drive off when she noticed Scorpia running after the car. She put her foot on the brakes and rolled down the window. "You already done your work?"

"No, but Adora needs a ride home," Scorpia said. "I met her in the hall! She's a really sweet-"

"Fuck no."

"What do you mean, no?" 

Adora appeared beside them, her face paling when she saw Catra. When Scorpia said she knew someone who could give her a ride, she didn't know she was talking about _her._

"Come on, Catra!" Scorpia pleaded. "I'll let you buy that Fender guitar!"

Catra's face lit up. "Will you let me and Entrapta go to the arcade on Saturday too?"

"It's _Entrapta and I."_

"Dude."

"Alright, fine."

"Sweet," Catra grinned. "You, get your ass in the car so we can get this over with."

"Be nice," Scorpia frowned. 

"Please place your posterior in my vehicle so that I can fucking move on with my life."

Adora got in the car hesitantly, sitting on the backseat. She pressed against the car door so she could stay as far away from Catra as possible.

Catra began to drive. "I'm putting on some tunes. Like rock?"

Adora shook her head.

"Too fucking bad."

Adora didn't know what song it was, but she knew it wasn't her kind of music. She tried to block out the noise. It wasn't until she heard Catra that she paid attention.

She had a really nice voice. Adora didn't remember her singing that well. She couldn't hear her properly, but she still thought it was a pretty voice. Way different from her regular voice.

Catra paused when she noticed Adora staring. "What?"

"Y-You're really good at singing," Adora stammered.

"...Thanks," Catra said, not showing any signs of actual happiness from the praise.

They reached Adora's house in 10 minutes. Catra didn't bother turning around to say bye to her. "Get the fuck out of my car."

"Thanks for the ride," Adora said softly as she left.

She reached the front door and turned around to see Catra still there. Was she making sure she got inside? The thought made her smile slightly. She waved to Catra, who frowned and gave her the middle finger.

The cat girl grumbled as she drove away. "Fucking weirdo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reuploaded the chapter because i tweaked the dates so i had to change the movies they were suggesting lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Tuesday, January 30, 2018**

It had been about a week since Catra had been in Bright Moon. She hated it. With a passion.

She had already been to detention twice. She didn't have any friends other than Entrapta, and that was because she really did scare everyone off on her first day. Good. She didn't want to talk to any of these losers. The only thing she liked was how Adora seemed to be afraid of her as well. It made her feel superior. Of course, she didn't really give a crap about being superior to anyone. However, Adora was an exception. She remembered how she used to feel jealous of the blonde girl all the time back at the orphanage for being so much better than her. Not anymore.

Scorpia was sick and had to stay at home, so Catra had driven herself to school. She parked in what had become her usual spot and headed into the school.

First period was Math. She went to her locker to get her textbook. While there, she spotted a boy getting pushed around by a couple of jocks. 

"I'm not getting involved in that shit," she told herself. "it's not even 9 yet."

"You guys better fuck off or I'll make mincemeat outta you!"

Catra groaned when she realized the person who yelled that was Entrapta. Now she _had_ to break this up.

"E-Entrapta, it's okay," the boy stammered. "I-I can handle this."

"Explain, twink," one of the jocks said, slamming him against a locker. "How come I got a C- on that essay?!"

"I-I have things to do, Rio!" the boy protested. "I was already working on my own project, and I didn't have enough time to-!"

Rio spit on his face. "Learn how to manage your time, then, you piece of shit!"

"Maybe you should learn how to do your own fucking work," Catra intervened. 

The jocks looked at her hesitantly. They obviously knew who she was from all the rumors that were spreading around.

"Stay out of this," Rio frowned.

"I wish I could," Catra sighed. "But that midget over there is my friend, therefore I kinda have to meddle in your business, therefore fuck you."

"A-Aren't you the girl who beat up Griffin last Friday?" another jock asked.

Rio's eyes widened. He quickly backed away. 

"Surprise, surprise, motherfucker," Catra flashed her fangs at them. "Get lost."

They scrambled away, leaving Catra, Entrapta, and the timid boy alone.

"You good?" Catra raised an eyebrow at her tech-loving friend.

"Yup!" Entrapta said. "Thanks for helping out! Beating up Griffin has done wonders for your reputation here. What did he do again?"

"He stepped on my tail," Catra said. "Got what was coming to him."

"Kyle, are you alright?" Entrapta asked the boy. "Mentally and physically?"

"I'm fine," Kyle smiled weakly. "I gotta get going."

"Kyle?" Catra blinked. "...Wait, you went to the same orphanage as me!"

Kyle looked at her in shock. "... _Catra?"_

"How you doing?" she asked. "When did you get out of that shithole?"

"A-A year after you did," Kyle replied. "It's good to see you again. You... changed a lot."

"You haven't changed at all," Catra retorted. "Stick up for yourself for once, you fucking twig. Come on, Entrapta, we're gonna be late."

The tech lover followed her friend enthusiastically while Kyle watched them leave. He couldn't believe how Catra had turned out. She used to be as quiet as him. But if she had learned to stand up to people...

Maybe there was hope for him.

* * *

Phys.Ed. was fun as always. Usually, Catra hated doing anything physical. But seeing the look on Adora's face whenever she beat her at something was totally worth it.

"Catra," Ms.Bennett said. "You're a pretty good sprinter. You should try out for the soccer team. I'm sure you and Adora would work really well together."

She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at how scared Adora looked by the mere thought of them working together.

"I'll pass," Catra replied. "I don't work well with people."

Adora sighed in relief. She really didn't want to play with someone who told her she'd basically kill her if she even talked to her.

Glimmer was also relieved, because that meant that if she was cheering for the team, she wouldn't be cheering for Catra.

The cat girl had just finished her laps when Adora had accidentally taken her water bottle. "That's mine."

Adora coughed so hard it almost came out of her nose. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! H-Here!"

"Ugh, quit your whimpering, god," Catra scowled. "Keep it now, I don't want any of your germs. And next time, maybe use your fucking eyes."

"Leave her alone!" Glimmer came in between them. "She made a mistake, that's all! You don't have to be so harsh!"

"That's the only way you morons learn," Catra said. "I'm not gonna hold your goddamn hand and say it's alright, it's not gonna have any effect."

"I dunno where you grew up but that's not how things work!" Glimmer said angrily.

"You might not know where I grew up," Catra replied. "But _she_ does. And that's why she knows I have every fucking right to act this way."

As soon as Catra walked away, Glimmer turned to Adora. "Are you okay? What did she mean when she said you know where she grew up? Do you know her?" she gasped dramatically. "Have you been _holding out on me?!"_

"I-I just didn't really... see the point in telling anyone?" Adora said sheepishly. "We grew up in the same orphanage, and... we were pretty close. But she's _so_ different, I... I don't even recognize her. Personality wise, I mean."

"That's so sad," Glimmer frowned. "I wonder why she became such a jerk." 

Adora sighed. "Believe me, I wish I knew."

* * *

Lunchtime. Once again, Catra was nowhere to be found. Adora didn't know why she even bothered thinking about her.

Today, Jordan "Sea Hawk" Fisher had joined them at their table in the cafeteria. He was the captain of the boys' swimming team, and he was always after Mermista, who happened to be the captain of the girls' swimming team.

"C'mon, I promise this date'll be fire-free!" Sea Hawk grinned.

Mermista rolled her eyes. "You promised that the last time, and _what_ happened?"

"I can't help it!" he put a hand to his head. "It's just, I saw those candles and I thought, wow, what would the table look like if I set it on fire?"

"You are _such_ an idiot," Mermista groaned. 

"Hey, guys!" Kyle ran over to them. "Do any of you know Catra Morales?"

"Who doesn't?" Glimmer scoffed. "She's the rudest person I've ever met."

"What are you talking about?" he raised his eyebrow. "She's amazing! She scared off Rio and his goons for me in the morning. I mean, sure, she called me a flipping twig, I mean those weren't her exact words, but she saved me a lot of trouble."

"Wow, seriously?" Adora gaped at him. "Did she remember you?"

"Yeah!" Kyle smiled. "Did she remember _you?"_

Adora put her hands to her head. "I don't understand. She barely talked to you, and she helped you out. We were best friends, and she said she hates me!"

"What?" Perfuma blinked. "You knew her already?"

Adora nodded.

"Maybe you did something to her?" Bow said.

"I'd never intentionally do anything to hurt anyone," Adora gave him a cold glare.

"Okay, okay!" he gulped. "Scary..."

"Well, she's nice to me," Kyle shrugged. "Er, no, I mean to say, she's decent enough from what I have gathered from that _one_ conversation we had. The rumors are cow poop."

 _"Cow poop?"_ Mermista repeated. "God, you're so innocent."

"I don't swear, _okay?"_ Kyle blushed. 

"It's alright Kyle, neither do I," Adora said. "Can we...talk about something else, now?"

Perfuma looked at her sympathetically. "Sure. Are you excited for the game on Thursday?"

"Excited _and_ nervous," Adora replied. "We're going up against the Horde Soldiers. They're pretty good, but I heard they cheat a lot."

"I heard that Lonnie goes there and she's the team captain," Kyle said. "So the cheating thing might be true. Lonnie was always too competitive..."

"Well, we're rooting for you, Adora!" Bow grinned.

"I'm gonna practice my cheering after school," Glimmer declared. "The cheer team isn't having a meeting, but I still wanna perfect my somersaults."

"Thanks, guys," Adora smiled.

* * *

Bio was an individual study session. Adora was seated beside Catra, not because they wanted to, but because the teacher wouldn't let them switch their seats.

"What the fuck is all this?" Catra grumbled to herself.

"Need help?" asked Adora.

"Fuck off," Catra growled. "Didn't I tell you not to talk to me? Do you _want_ me to kick your ass?"

"Sorry," Adora squeaked. She felt her cheeks turning pink out of embarrassment.

"...I don't understand this one," Catra muttered, pointing to one of the concepts.

Adora stared at her in surprise. This was the first time Catra didn't say something full of hate to her.

"Are you gonna keep staring at me like an idiot," Catra said. "Or are you gonna explain this crap?"

"U-Uh, yeah, sorry!" Adora smiled nervously. "This is the Law of Segregation. Basically, it states that the offspring inherits 1 allele from each parent."

"Oh, okay," Catra nodded. "And alleles are, like, different variations of the same gene?"

"Yes!" Adora said. She was way more excited about this then she should've been.

"I got it," Catra said. She turned and scowled at Adora. "Now, like I said before, fuck off."

Adora sighed. She went back to her studying and tried to ignore the sadness she felt.

* * *

Catra ran to her car as soon as last period was over. She couldn't stand staying at the school any longer than she needed to.

Just before she got into the car, she noticed Adora standing underneath a tree nearby, staring at her phone in distraught. The two made eye contact but Adora quickly broke it off and began to walk back to the school.

For whatever reason, Catra decided to follow her. She ended up standing behind the bleachers, watching Adora. The blonde took out a soccer ball from her gym back and began to practice. She was so focused she didn't even notice the cat girl sit on the bleachers in plain sight.

 _Is she fucking blind or something?_ Catra thought after 15 minutes. _I could sit here for years and she still wouldn't see me. I guess that's what happens when you get too_ _invested in things._

About 5 more minutes pass. Adora ended up tripping over the ball.

"Ow..."

Before Catra knew it, she had already run to her side. "What hurts?"

"C-Catra?" Adora gaped at her. "You were sitting there the _whole time?!"_

"I asked you a question, dumbass," Catra growled. " _What hurts?"_

She sounded more threatening than concerned. "M-My knee just got scratched a little, I'm fine!"

"Hold on," Catra reached into her bag and brought out a mini first aid kit. She took some disinfectant and bandages from the kit and got to work.

"Ah!" Adora winced. "You really don't need to-"

"Can you _shut the fuck up_ already?" Catra snapped at her. "I can't do this if you keep squirming."

Adora stayed silent and watched Catra tend to her. Now that her ex-best friend was actually in front of her for more than 5 minutes outside of class, she started noticing all the physical aspects that had changed. Catra's freckles were more prominent, for one thing. Her hair was as messy as always, and so were her bangs. She was taller, but still a bit shorter than the blonde. Her ears twitched and her tail was slightly raised. Weren't there specific meanings for specific tail movements? Maybe Adora would search it up. 

Overall, Catra had gone from cute to kind of hot.

Adora blushed and tried to get that thought out of her head. Catra wasn't hot. She was the same as always.

When Catra was done, she pointed her finger at Adora's forehead. "You need to wipe the shit out of your eyes and watch where you're going, or you're gonna suck ass at the game on Thursday."

"How do you know about the game?" 

"Entrapta knows everything," Catra replied impatiently. "And for whatever fucking reason, she decided to tell me. Now come on."

Adora stared at her blankly.

"Ugh, how did you become such a _pendejo?"_ Catra groaned. "I'm driving your sorry ass home. Wasted 20 minutes because of you."

"You were here for _20 minutes?!"_ Adora yelled.

"You ask too many stupid questions," Catra replied. "Are you coming or what?"

"Y-Yes!" Adora grabbed her bag and ran after her. They got into the car, and this time Adora sat on the passenger's seat. Catra scoffed and refused to look at her.

"Thank you," Adora said. "For, y'know, doing all this. I was gonna stay at the soccer field for another hour because my parents were really busy and they don't trust me with a car."

"I'm not doing this because I like you," Catra stated. "And I don't care why you were waiting for your parents. I just want to throw you to your place and get home before Scorpia has a fucking fit."

"Still," Adora smiled at her. "Thanks."

Catra turned to see her smile and quickly looked away. "Whatever."

She dropped Adora off and got home. Scorpia was waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Catra!" she ran over and hugged her. "What the heck took you so long?"

"My, uh, teacher wanted to talk to me about some concept I wasn't getting," Catra muttered.

"Really?" Scorpia raised an eyebrow. "Cuz Entrapta told me you were hanging out with Adora.

Entrapta yelled from upstairs. " _'She wrapped her knee up in a loving way and set her heart aflutter!'_ Thanks for the fanfiction material, babe!"

"Fuck you!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Thursday, February 1, 2018**

The day passed by faster than Adora wanted it to. That's how days always were if she had a big game coming up.

Catra was absent yesterday as well as today. Adora later learned from Entrapta that the cat girl had gotten sick because of Scorpia, and despite not even asking for it, she gave her Catra's phone number. 

Adora decided to text her for the heck of it.

 **Adora [12:15]:** Catra?

 **Adora [12:15]:** It's me, Adora

 **Adora [12:15]:** Entrapta told me you were sick. Hope you get better soon!

Adora closed her phone before the teacher could catch her. She really needed to get a grip on herself. Glimmer had also been noticing how fidgety and nervous she had become since Catra transferred. That wasn't her. Adora was confident and always ready to make new friends. She couldn't let Catra intimidate her anymore. And she _really_ missed her.

"Hey, Mermista!" Adora poked her bored friend on the shoulder. "I really need to vent to someone and you just happen to be sitting in front of me so can you _please_ listen?"

Mermista rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I knew I should've sat with Kyle. Fine, what's on your mind?"

"I need to fix things with Catra," Adora said. "I'm going to make things right between us, because I believe that under that vulgar and grumpy interior, there is a lonely person that needs me!"

"...What if she just hates you?" Mermista asked.

"I dunno about that," Bow intervened. "I've seen her looking at you sometimes. Like she wants to approach you but she doesn't really know how."

"Well, I'm gonna try!" Adora stared up at the ceiling and clenched her fist in determination.

She checked her phone after Bio. Catra had texted her back.

 **Catra [12:24pm]:** did that fucking twintailed nightmare give u my number

 **Catra [12:25pm]:** unfuckingbelievable

 **Catra [12:56pm]:** you better delete my number right now

Adora was feeling feistier than usual and decided to challenge the girl.

 **Adora [12:58pm]:** What if I don't want to?

 **Catra [12:59pm]:** im warning you

 **Adora [12:59pm]:** first of all you don't scare me

 **Adora [12:59pm]:** Second of all I'm keeping your number

 **Catra [1:00pm]:** this is bullying

 **Catra [1:00pm]:** leave me alone you asshole i fucking hate you

 **Adora [1:01pm]:** no you dont because if you really hated me you wouldnt have bandaged my knee

She was gonna leave it at that but another question popped into her mind.

 **Adora [1:05pm]:** hey are you coming to the game at 4

 **Catra [1:07pm]:** why the fuck would i 

**Catra [1:07pm]:** first you harass a poor sick girl who obviously wants nothing to do w u then you try to force her to see your stupid game youre the fucking worst

 **Adora [1:08pm]:** You know what? Forget I asked.

Adora put her phone away in irritation. Catra was so stubborn. She really wanted her to come to the game, too.

After math was over, Adora went to the soccer field where the rest of her teammates were already waiting. Her teammate Netossa Brown greeted her.

"Hi, Netossa!" Adora gave her a high-five. "You ready to win?"

"Totally," Netossa grinned. "Spins said that if we win she'll take me to DQ for some ice cream."

The girl was referring to her girlfriend, Spinnerella Stevenson. Adora was at times envious of how close the two were. She wanted a relationship like that one day.

"Let's do our best, then," Adora smiled.

* * *

Adora's suspicions about the other team were true. They were taking every chance they had to cheat their way to victory. Thankfully, they only got away with it once. However, they were _very_ persistent.

Lonnie recognized Adora right away. She had an evil smirk on her face, but Adora didn't know why. She was always neutral about Lonnie, but now she was starting to dislike her a lot.

During the break, Lonnie walked up to her with the same smirk. "It's been a long time, Adora. Say, have you talked to Catra ever since you left her?"

"What are you talking about?" Adora glared at her.

"You should've seen her after you got adopted," Lonnie continued. "The poor girl cried her eyes out almost everyday. I mean, who can blame her? You left her right after Christmas, after you two weirdos would always blabber about how you'd be _'together forever'._ Hell, you didn't even say goodbye."

All of a sudden, it dawned on Adora. She felt sick to her stomach almost immediately. Of course Catra would hate her under these circumstances. She literally had every right to.

"Back off!" Glimmer yelled at Lonnie. She and Bow yelled at the same time and chased off the rude girl. They turned to Adora.

"Don't listen to anything she says, Adora!" Bow exclaimed, holding her by the shoulders. "She's just trying to psych you out! Don't let her get inside your brain!"

"But she was right," Adora stared at the floor. "I left Catra behind in the worst circumstances possible. I'm an awful person."

"No, you aren't."

All three of them looked to see Scorpia in front of them. "It's not like you could've stopped the whole adoption process, anyway. And don't forget, you were also just a kid. You didn't know you could have such an impact on her. Don't knock yourself down!"

"Wait..." Adora blinked. "If you're here..."

"The game's resuming!" Netossa said. "C'mon Adora!"

Before they got into position, Adora scanned the bleachers. She spotted Catra sitting with Entrapta, not looking very pleased to be there. They made eye contact and she waved at her enthusiastically. Catra rolled her eyes and scowled, but after receiving a sharp elbow jab from the tech nerd beside her, she reluctantly waved back. The sorrow in Adora's heart was quickly replaced with joy and adrenaline pumped through her veins. She was gonna kick Lonnie's ass.

* * *

"I don't want to go," Catra said when asked by Scorpia and Entrapta to go to the soccer game.

"But The Rebellion's counting on all of us to cheer for them!" Entrapta said. 

"Fuck The Rebellion," Catra spat.

"Would you do it to make Adora happy?" Scorpia pouted.

"I couldn't give less of a shit if she was happy or not."

Entrapta glared at her. She was starting to lose her patience. "I saw your texts. She wants you to be there for her."

"First of all, quit snooping," Catra said. "Second of all... why should I be there for her if she was never there for me?"

"She was a kid!" Scorpia exclaimed. "It's not like she would've been able to cancel the adoption process and run back to you. Someone wanted to give her a home, and she wanted one, too. Maybe she wanted to say bye, but that weird old shadow lady didn't let her. Either way, it's your turn to prove that you are better than that and you will be there!"

"...urgh," Catra grumbled. "Okay, I'll come. But I still hate her."

"YAY!" Entrapta yelled as she tackled her. "LET'S GO _RIGHT_ NOW I CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE!"

* * *

Catra wondered how Adora became so much more energetic in the next half of the game. It was worth seeing Lonnie look so pathetic, though.

"Look at her go!" Entrapta cheered. "Love really _does_ help people overcome anything, huh?"

"The hell are you talking about?" Catra asked.

"Oh, nothing," Entrapta smirked.

"Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face," Catra scowled even more. "I don't know what you're trying to say, so shut up and let me watch the stupid game."

"Hi, guys!" Kyle smiled at the two and sat down beside Entrapta. "I noticed you guys didn't bring any snacks, so I thought you might want to share with me."

"Ugh, god bless you, Kyle," Entrapta wiped a tear. "Ooh, pocky sticks. Want one, Catra?"

"Nah, I don't like sweets," Catra shook her head. "I'll take those flamin' hot cheetos, though."

Kyle gave them their snacks and continued to watch the game. "It's weird."

"What is?" Catra asked.

"You, Adora, Lonnie, me... we all went to the same orphanage and we still ended up re-meeting each other after all these years. It's such a coincidence. Oh, and I met Rogelio again. He lives somewhere in Brazil now, but he came here for 2 weeks."

"Rogelio was the lizard dude, right?" Catra asked as she munched on her snacks.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "He-- _oh look!_ That shot was spectacular! Adora's amazing!"

"I beg to differ," Catra rolled her eyes. 

"You know you like her," Entrapta said teasingly.

"I don't blame you for being mad at her, Catra," Kyle said. "But I think you should give her a chance."

"And I think what you think is bullshit," Catra retorted. "This conversation is over."

The game was almost over. The Rebellion was in the lead, 5-4. Adora kept glancing at Catra to make sure she wasn't leaving right away, but much to her surprise, the cat girl actually decided to stay. Maybe it was the fact that Kyle was talking to her and giving her snacks.

"Thanks, Kyle," Adora whispered as she got ready for the final 2 minutes of the game. Lonnie was a bit put off by how Adora hadn't been swayed by her words, but she was still determined to win. 

"Kick her a--uh, butt, Adora!" Glimmer cheered. She decided against swearing when she remembered that her mother was sitting nearby. 

"Go, Rebellion!" Bow yelled while waving his pom-poms. "Woooooo!"

The last 2 minutes were like a blur. One second Lonnie had the ball, then Netossa snatched it from her and passed to Adora. It was up to her to make the winning goal. She took a deep breath and kicked.

"The Rebellion wins!" the referee yelled. Adora's teammates immediately tackled her to the ground. She didn't know why she felt so happy. It was just another regular game.

Maybe Catra being there had more of an effect on her than she thought.

Speaking of Catra, she decided to wriggle free of the embrace of her teammates and find her, talk to her a bit. Catra was in the middle of leaving when Adora caught up to her.

"Hi, Catra!" Adora smiled. "I thought you said you didn't want to come to the game."

"Unfortunately for me," Catra sighed. "Entrapta and Scorpia are really good manipulators. I would've never come if they didn't peer pressure me."

"Well, thanks for coming to watch, anyway," Adora shrugged. "Hey, I met Lonnie during the break. She told me some things, and it made me realize just how much my adoption affected you, so I just wanna apologize for leaving you. I wanna apologize for not saying good bye. Catra, I really want to be your friend, and I'm sorry for hurting you."

"If your really sorry," Catra said. "Then leave me the fuck alone. I _told_ you I don't like you."

"Who was it that bandaged my knee?"

"Y'know what, I wish I left you there to die."

"I'm not gonna die from a knee scrape, Catra!" Adora laughed.

The sound of her laugh made Catra feel weird. "Ugh, whatever."

"Well, well," Lonnie approached the two with an angry expression. "Never thought anybody would want _you."_

Catra realized that statement was directed toward her and scowled. "Screw off, loser."

Lonnie shoved her. Adora stepped in between them and yelled at her. "It's not her fault you lost, Lonnie."

"I don't need you to defend me," Catra said. "I can deal with this moron myself."

"What did you call me?" Lonnie clenched her fists.

Catra grabbed the girl by the collar. Her eyes glowed dangerously. It reminded Adora of that Bio class, when they had re-encountered each other. "Clean the shit out of your ears and listen carefully. Quit bringing up the past and trying to make us feel bad just because _you_ can't handle how fucking insecure you are. If I ever catch you doing this kind of bullshit again, I'm gonna make sure you regret it. You hear me? Or do I need to repeat it again?"

Lonnie nodded hesitantly. As soon as Catra let go of her, she ran off. Adora stood there in shock.

"Catra, that was amazing!" she grinned. _"You're_ amazing."

"Cut it out," Catra rolled her eyes. "And get lost, I need to leave this place before fucking summer arrives."

"No need for the sarcasm," Adora said. "See you tomorrow, Catra!"

"I fucking hope not," Catra replied. She left to follow Scorpia to the car. Adora decided to go talk to the rest of her friends.

"Hey, Glimmer!" Adora hugged her. "I can't believe we managed to win!"

"Better believe it, sister!" Glimmer winked. "I'm so proud of you! I have a question though. How the heck did you become so pumped up in the second half?"

"Oh, just some inspirational motivation from Coach," Adora replied nonchalantly. She lied because she didn't want Glimmer to begin interrogating her.

Bow tackled her from behind. "Best friend squad!"

Mermista yawned. "Can I go home, now? I wasted my precious me-time just to watch you."

"You and Catra are so alike," Adora thought aloud. "She's more vulgar and stubborn, though."

"We should celebrate," Perfuma said. "Let's go to my place after school tomorrow. We'll throw a mini-party."

"I'm down," Bow said. 

"I'll ask my mom," Glimmer said. "I kinda got grounded again."

Adora was considering inviting Catra, but she already knew what kind of response she would get, so she decided against it. Catra didn't seem to be the partying type anyway. 

She brought out her phone to text her one more time.

 **Adora[4:47pm]:** thx again for coming

 **Catra[4:48pm]:** istg if you thank me one more time im gonna fucking break your neck

 **Adora[4:48pm]:** Okay, fine. Sorry.

Adora put her phone away, feeling a bit dismayed. She didn't exactly know why. Her phone buzzed a short while after.

 **Catra[4:53pm]:** i was joking ill break ur arms at most

 **Catra[4:55pm]:** i guess you did kinda ok today

 **Catra[4:55pm]:** in no way does my acknowledgement of ur skills make us friends

Adora giggled at how Catra was trying to remedy the situation while still denying that she liked her. She was going to work hard to fix the friendship that they had, and she was going to get Catra to admit she was her friend no matter what.


	5. Chapter 5

**Friday, February 2, 2018**

Catra got to school earlier than usual. She decided to head to the music room and mess around with the instruments.

Since the guitars were locked away in one of the cabinets, she decided to play piano. She started to sing absentmindedly.

_"I'd like to say I'm okay but I'm not,_

_I try but I fall,_

_Close my mind, turn it off,_

_But I can't be sober,"_

She started to get so caught up in her singing that she didn't notice Mermista peek in.

_"I cannot sleep,_

_You've got your peace now,_

_But what about me?"_

Adora was also drawn to the music room by the sound of the piano. Only when she reached the room did she realize it was Catra who was playing. She quietly sat beside Mermista who had pulled up a chair just to watch the cat girl play.

"You can feel the emotions," Mermista said. "She's the first person who has walked into this room and actually played something decent. And her voice is really nice too."

"It's so much more different from her regular voice," Adora said, seemingly mesmerized by Catra's mini performance. 

Catra stopped playing and looked at them. "I can hear both of you."

"No, wait, keep going!" Adora pleaded.

"No way," Catra got up and grabbed her bag. "Not with _you_ listening."

Mermista chuckled. "You two are really something."

They paused and looked at her. Adora raised an eyebrow. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means the way you two interact makes my day a bit less boring," Mermista poked her cheek. "You should feel honored."

Catra rolled her eyes. "I'm heading to class."

"What do you have, Catra?" Adora asked.

"Nothing with you," Catra replied stoically. 

"History," Mermista said. "I have it with her."

"Aw," Adora pouted. "I have Business. Well, at least we have Bio and Phys.Ed together."

"Oh yeah, I get leave your ass in the dust in Phys.Ed," Catra smirked.

"Well see about that," Adora frowned.

Catra laughed at Adora, who despite her slight annoyance, found it be music to her ears.

"Aw, how cute," Mermista said dryly. "No, really, I love a good bonding moment."

Catra rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

* * *

At lunchtime, Adora once again looked for Catra.

"Will you _ever_ stop looking for her?" Glimmer groaned. "You've been doing that since she got here."

"I just want to talk to her," Adora said. "Talking is a big part in the healing process."

"Whatever," Glimmer grumbled. "I personally don't think one person is worth all the trouble."

Adora got up and slammed her hands on the table, making both Glimmer and Bow jolt up. "You're wrong. She's _100%_ worth it. If you have a problem with me trying to fix things with the person who was closest to me, then maybe you should tell me to my face."

Glimmer's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I don't have a problem with it."

Perfuma cleared her throat. "I think we should change the topic."

Adora picked up her burger. "I'm gonna go take a walk. See you guys later."

As soon as she left, Bow patted Glimmer on the shoulder. "Glimmer, while I get that you have your own opinions, I really don't think you should've said that. How'd you feel if you and I got separated and I hated you for it? Adora just wants her friend back."

"I wasn't thinking, I guess," Glimmer nodded. "I'll apologize later."

* * *

Much to Adora's surprise, she received a text from Catra.

 **Catra[11:35pm]:** hey

 **Catra[11:36pm]:** why arent you with your nerd crew

 **Adora[11:37pm]:** dont call them that

 **Adora[11:37pm]:** how do you know im not there?

 **Catra[11:38pm]:** entrapta, duh. she texted me and told me you stormed off looking pretty pissed

 **Catra[11:38pm]:** she basically told what glitter said to you and how you got mad at her

Adora didn't bother correcting the 'Glitter' thing.

 **Catra[11:38pm]:** she also told me the whole mess was over me and sent me details as well as recordings shes such a fucking weirdo

 **Catra[11:39pm]:** i cant fucking believe im causing problems even when im not in the room lol

 **Adora[11:40pm]:** its because i keep looking for you at lunch

 **Catra[11:40pm]:** uh why

 **Adora[11:41pm]:** to talk

 **Adora[11:41pm]:** but now that i think about it im not sure why i even bother

 **Adora[11:41pm]:** its not like you even want to talk

 **Adora[11:42pm]** i dunno i just feel kinda hopeless rn

It took Catra a bit of time to reply.

 **Catra[11:48pm]:** where are you 

**Adora[11:48pm]:** parking lot

 **Catra[11:49pm]:** near my car?

 **Adora[11:50pm]:** yeah

 **Catra[11:50pm]:** dont move

Adora put her phone back in her pocket, wondering what Catra was up to. She felt a tap on her shoulder moments later and jumped a bit.

"Hey, Adora," Catra smirked. "Antsy, much?"

"What are you doing here?" Adora asked.

"What do you think?" Catra asked back. She reached into her bag for a snack. "Want cheetos?"

"No thanks," Adora smiled weakly. "You don't have to be here."

"Didn't you wanna talk?" Catra raised an eyebrow.

"You don't wanna be my friend," Adora muttered. "What's the point in talking then?"

Catra went silent. The cool air caused Adora to shiver a little as she had forgotten her jacket at home.

"Here," Catra said, taking off her own maroon leather jacket. "You fucking idiot, it's freezing. Put this on before you catch a cold."

"But-"

"I already have a sweater on. Take it."

Adora accepted the jacket and put it on. A candy-like scent emanated from it, making her a bit lightheaded, yet comforted at the same time.

"...Jesus," Catra sighed. "Don't tell this to anyone, or I will literally hunt you down, but... I'm just not really good with feelings and people, okay? It's easier to just push everyone away. Trust me, you don't even _want_ to be friends with me."

"I do, though," Adora looked her in the eyes. "You can't change my mind."

"Alright, look," Catra poked her forehead. "I don't like you."

Adora felt even more disheartened.

"But I don't _not_ like you."

She perked up almost immediately. "Wait, so you're neutral?"

"Enthusiastic much?" Catra rolled her eyes. "What I mean is that depending on how you play your cards, I might consider being your friend."

"Oh, Catra!" Adora exclaimed happily, hugging her. "You have no idea how happy I am!"

"Judging from your tight ass grip," Catra wheezed. "I think I have a pretty good idea. Now let me go before I change my mind, I don't like hugging."

"I'll make you like it," Adora hugged her even tighter.

"You're doing the complete opposite," Catra choked. "Get the fuck off of me."

Adora quickly backed off. "We should probably go back inside. Here's your jacket."

"Keep it," Catra said. "I'm assuming you don't have one, and you like sitting on the soccer field sometimes, so just keep it and return it tomorrow."

"Thanks, Catra," she smiled. "But I was actually thinking of walking home today. Yesterday's game kinda tired me out."

"You're gonna _walk_ home?" Catra asked. "How close is your house?"

"5 minutes by car? It takes me around 25 minutes on foot but the exercise is good."

"You just said yesterday's game made you tired. How about you give me my jacket back and I drive you home?"

"Really?" 

"Yeah, it's no biggie," Catra shrugged. "I already drive Scorpia and Entrapta home, one more person won't give me an even bigger headache than those little shits."

Adora giggled. "I wish my mom could come pick me up, but she's really busy today. So, thank you."

"You thank me way too fucking much," Catra said. "...You're welcome."

* * *

In Phys.Ed., Glimmer apologized to Adora. 

"I get that she's important to you," Glimmer said. "Just don't become _too_ obsessed, alright? Friendships develop naturally, and if you force it too much, you're gonna drive her away."

"Trust me," Adora smiled. "I've got this."

They did a few exercises and ran. Adora noticed Catra was slower than usual.

"What happened to 'leaving my ass in the dust'?" she called out to her. Her victorious smile quickly melted into a frown when she realized Catra was abnormally pale. She slowed down to run alongside her.

"Are you okay?" Adora asked.

"Yeah," Catra replied weakly.

"Are you sure?"

"...I feel a little dizzy."

Adora stopped running and grabbed Catra by the arm. "Let's ask Ms.Bennett for a break."

They got permission to go sit on the side. Catra collapsed onto the grass, her breathing shallow. Thankfully, she was still conscious. But she was sweating a lot.

"Here, have a snack," Adora said, giving her some blueberries. "Did you eat properly today?"

Catra seemed a bit hesitant when she nodded.

"You're not lying, right?"

She shook her head.

"Maybe you're still sick?"

"I guess so."

"You should've stayed home to completely recover. Thank god you didn't pass out."

"I'm fine," Catra snapped at her. "I don't need you to tell me what to do. What are you, my fucking mom?"

Adora sighed. "I'm just worried about you."

"Like I said, I'm _fine,"_ Catra said. "Go back to the track. You don't need to watch me."

"I want to," Adora shrugged. "Try and stop me."

Catra groaned. "You're so fucking stubborn."

"That's something we have in common," Adora retorted.

"...True," Catra genuinely smiled. It made Adora's heart flutter a little. Not that she'd ever tell her that.

"You have a pretty smile," Adora said. 

Catra smirked. "Are you flirting with me, Adora Carrero?"

Adora felt her cheeks turning red almost immediately. "W-What? No!"

"Joking, joking," Catra said. "But thanks. I mean, it's just a smile, but if you think it's pretty, that's your opinion."

"It _is,_ though!" Adora exclaimed. "Maybe it's because you don't smile that often, I dunno. Even your fangs are cute."

"Knock it off," Catra blushed lightly. "I get it, I get it. No more compliments or I _will_ throw you in front of a bus."

Adora chuckled at her. "Okay, I'm done."

They sat together for the rest of the class. When the bell rang, Adora stopped Catra one more time.

"You're okay, now?" Adora asked. "Don't need to go to the infirmary?"

"For the millionth time, _yes,"_ Catra rolled her eyes. "See you after school."

She left for her math class. Adora watched her as she disappeared into the building, hoping she didn't pass out along the way.

* * *

After school ended, Catra waited for Adora by the car. Entrapta and Scorpia had already arrived.

"It's been 10 minutes," Catra said. "Don't tell me she forgot."

"Maybe she's busy conversing with someone who doesn't care that she needs to go," Entrapta said, tapping at her DS.

"Be patient, you two," Scorpia said. "...oh, look, here she comes."

Adora ran over to them. "Sorry, someone asked to talk to me. I didn't expect it to take so long."

"Get in," Catra said. Adora sat beside Entrapta, who asked her a lot of questions.

"What exactly happened while we were waiting for you?" she asked.

"Kyle wanted some notes," Adora said. "I ended up listening to him gushing over his boyfriend. Is being in a relationship really that amazing?"

"Dating nowadays is just people being thirsty and not giving a fuck about personality," Catra said. "It's probably not."

"It's nice, don't listen to Catra," Scorpia said. "She hasn't even dated anybody."

 _"Really?"_ Adora gaped.

"Give me a fucking break," Catra growled. "Everyone's boring, I'm not interested."

"You should meet more people," Entrapta stated. "It should increase the probability of you finding someone."

"Says the nerd who stays in her room all day gushing over tech junk," Catra retorted.

"Touché."

"I didn't mean to offend you or anything," Adora said. "I just can't believe no one ever asked you out. You're so pretty."

Scorpia smirked at Catra, who kept her eyes on the road but still turned pink from the praise. "...I'm not pretty, I'm average."

"That's what _you_ think," Adora shrugged. "But I think you are."

"Whatever," Catra grumbled. "...Now scram, we're here."

Adora didn't realize they had reached her house until she said that. She got out and waved to them. Entrapta and Scorpia waved enthusiastically while Catra didn't say anything and drove away. The blonde walked to the front door and reached into her pocket for the keys. Only, she couldn't find them.

 _"Oh man,"_ Adora groaned. "I forgot them on the dining table!"

She stood in the cold, contemplating whether or not she should text Catra. But then what? It's not like the cat girl would let her stay over at her house. She didn't think they were at that level yet. She decided to text Perfuma, since Glimmer was still grounded.

 **Adora[2:18pm]:** perfuma are you home?

 **Perfuma[2:23pm]:** no, sorry! gardening club has a meeting today! why?

 **Adora[2:23pm]:** i kinda got locked out of my house

 **Perfuma[2:24pm]:** oh my gosh im so sorry! i wish i could come pick you up. its FREEZING outside

 **Adora[2:24pm]:** no kidding

 **Adora[2:24pm]:** i cant even ask catra to come get me she just picked me up

 **Perfuma[2:25pm]:** catra?

 **Perfuma[2:26pm]:** hold on for a sec

Adora decided to sit down on her front porch. She rubbed her hands together for heat, her breath coming out as mist. Maybe Perfuma decided to come, or maybe she called someone else to pick her up. Either way, she didn't want to sit out here for too long. 

After waiting for a bit, a car pulled up in front of her house. Catra burst out, running towards Adora and taking off her jacket to wrap her in it.

"How fucking stupid can you be?" Catra hissed. "You should've called _me_ , not plant lady!"

The jacket's scent began made Adora feel warm for some reason. "I didn't know if you'd help."

"...Seriously?" Catra sighed. _"_ Get in the car, dumbass."

They drove to Catra's house. Adora didn't expect it to be in the Royal neighborhood.

"You're a _Royal?"_ Adora exclaimed.

"Scorpia is," Catra said. "Dad's come from a long line of Royals."

She unlocked the door and let Adora in. It was as nice as any other Royal house. Adora lived in one too, but it wasn't as big compared to this one. She took off her shoes and hung the jacket on the coat rack. Scorpia and Entrapta greeted her from the kitchen. 

"Adora, are you okay?" Entrapta asked. "No signs of hypothermia? Frostbite? A cold?"

"I'm fine, thanks," she smiled. "Catra, how did you get Perfuma's number?"

"Someone like me would never ask that nerd for her number," Catra huffed. "Entrapta was the one who she texted."

"Catra literally burst out the front door looking so worried," Scorpia laughed. "I've never seen anything like that."

"Shut up, asshole," Catra growled. 

"Ah, my mom just texted me," Adora said. "She's gonna be working overnight. She won't be able to come pick me up."

"What about your dad?" Entrapta asked.

"Dad's gonna be overseas for a week on some business trip," Adora said. "I guess I'll just have to call someone else and see if they can come."

"...You can stay here," Catra suggested quietly. 

"Really?" Adora looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, I mean, you're here already," the cat girl shrugged. "What's the point in going somewhere else?"

"If you don't have any pajamas, Catra can give you hers," Scorpia said. "You two are about the same size."

"I'll go grab 'em now," Catra said, running upstairs.

"I'm gonna go get snacks," Scorpia said. "See you guys in a bit."

She left Adora and Entrapta alone. Adora always liked the eccentric engineer, but she never really had a conversation with her.

" _So,"_ Entrapta smirked. "I noticed you came in with Catra's jacket on."

Adora blushed. "Um, that's because it was cold and she kind of just threw it at me."

"Aw, how cute!" Entrapta squealed. "I can tell she really likes you, even if she's not saying it yet. Just don't hurt her, alright?"

"Of course I won't," Adora said firmly. _Never again._

"Hey, Adora," Catra said after coming down with the pajamas. The way she said that always made Adora's cheeks heat up a little. "I got these. They okay?"

She handed Adora a white long-sleeved shirt and light blue sweatpants. "Yeah, they're good. I'll put them on later."

"I wanna watch a movie," Entrapta said. "And go for a walk. What should we do first?"

"We'll go out first, to get over with it," Catra replied. "We'll watch the movie later."

The three girls stepped out of the house. Adora remembered she didn't have a jacket, and Catra made her wear her's again. She hoped this meant she was beginning to warm up to her. 

"Let's play a game," Entrapta said, walking backwards so she'd face them. "What about _Would You Rather?_ I'll start. Um... would you rather get eaten alive by a horde of chicken zombies, or suffocate in space while falling back to Earth?"

"Second," Catra said. "Suffocate doesn't hurt as much as getting eaten. And one you start falling, everything goes by quick."

"First," Adora said. "I'm not so good with heights."

"But getting eaten fucking hurts," Catra pointed out. "They'll be tearing your flesh off of you bit by bit, and they're chickens, so the process becomes _even_ slower."

"That means I'll be eaten before I even know it, though, because the bites are so small" Adora insisted. "I don't wanna suffocate slowly."

"Catra, your turn," Entrapta said.

"Would you rather piss hot chocolate or shit cupcakes?"

"Ew!" Adora laughed. "The second one for me, although I imagine it would be pretty messy."

"Second one for me as well," Entrapta said. "While I'm quite fond of hot chocolate, I would rather not have a sticky pussy."

"Gross, I didn't even think of that," Catra wrinkled her nose in disgust. 

"I guess it's my turn now," Adora said. "Uh, would you rather get your dream job or find your true love?"

"Wow, Adora's inquiry is the least insane," Entrapta giggled. "I'd get my dream job. I don't really care much for love, at least not at the moment."

Adora looked at Catra, who bit her lip as she thought about it. "What about you, Catra?"

"...Damn, this is actually kind of hard," Catra admitted. "Because, like, I'd love to become a professional musician, or at the very least, a songwriter, but true love... It could be that you love them, yet they love someone else. In that case, what's the point in finding them? You'd just get hurt."

"Wow, you are taking this way too seriously," Entrapta smirked. "Just choose one already!"

"I think..." Catra said. "I'd rather get my dream job. Fuck, I really overthought this."

"You're right, though," Adora said. "About the true love thing."

They stopped at McDonald's and Entrapta headed inside to get their food. While they waited in the parking lot, Catra looked at Adora in a strange way.

"W-What is it?" asked Adora.

"It's kinda surreal," Catra said. "Seeing you after so many years. There are some things that haven't changed, some things that have. I just never thought we'd meet again. Hell, I never wanted us to meet again."

"But we did," Adora looked down with sad eyes. "Do you regret it?"

"Whether I regret it or not is up to you," Catra said. "...Hey, Adora, you listen to music?"

"No, not really," Adora said. "I like music, I just don't listen to it often. And I only like the acoustic and indie genre."

"Acoustic and indie are nice," Catra nodded, "I mostly listen to rock, sometimes K-pop, but I have a few of those songs on my phone. Here, I'll show you."

She handed her an earbud, then played the first song. "This is _Death With Dignity,_ by Sufjan Stevens."

The song was surprising very soft, and appealing. Adora had no idea Catra listened to such songs.

_"Somewhere in the desert, there's a forest,_

_and an acre before us,"_

Catra was singing again. Adora had to resist the urge to stare at her too much. By now, she had completely forgotten the song was playing, and she was only focused on the cat girl.

"Your voice is amazing," Adora said. "I could fall asleep to you singing this."

Catra's cheeks heated up. "Please don't. I can't be bothered to drag you back home."

Adora chuckled. They listened to a few more songs, then Entrapta finally came back. 

"Adora, here's your burger and fries," Entrapta said. "Catra, are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Yeah," she replied. Her stomach growled in protest. "Scorpia's getting pizza, anyway."

"Here, have a fry," Adora smiled as she held out one to her. 

"Thanks," Catra said. Instead of taking it from her, she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, bent over a little, and bit it while it was still in the blonde's hand. Adora went beat red at the way she did it.

"Control yourself, woman!" Entrapta gushed. "But also, thanks for the material."

Catra looked at her begrudgingly. "What does it matter how I ate it? You're the one who needs to get your fucking head out of the gutter. And quit writing those stupid fanfictions."

"Hey, I have 10000 followers, okay?" Entrapta said. "I need to keep the fanfics spicy. Besides, I'm not the only one who thought it was hot. Look at Adora!"

The blonde attempted to cover her face in embarrassment. "I-It's fine! I was just caught off-guard."

This was weird. Her other friends had done that a bunch of times. Why would it be any different with Catra?

"Let's go back home," Catra said. "Scorpia's probably already waiting."

* * *

The girls reached home at 5. Scorpia sat in the living room with the pizza.

"You guys went on a walk without me?" she whined. "Rude!"

"Shut the fuck up, you were the one who wanted to go get food," Catra rolled her eyes. "What did you get?"

"Pocky sticks, cheetos, cookies, pretzels," Scorpia said. "One pizza is cheese, the other is meat lovers."

"I'm gonna go change," Adora said. She sneezed, making Catra's ears perk up in alarm. 

"Are you okay?" Catra raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, totally," Adora said, although her throat felt a bit sore. "Don't worry about it."

She went to the washroom. Entrapta and Scorpia exchanged looks, which didn't go unnoticed by Catra. "What?"

"I thought you hated her," Scorpia smirked. "Why are you so concerned about her?"

"I'm neutral about her," Catra frowned. "And if someone was dying, wouldn't you be concerned too?"

"She's not dying, it's a flippin' sneeze, Catra," Entrapta stated. "She's probably just getting a cold."

"Whatever."

Adora came back, changed and for some reason, more relaxed. "What movie are we watching?"

"...Hey! Mary and the Witch's Flower!" Catra's eyes lit up. She jumped up and down on the sofa. "Please please please let's watch it!"

Adora thought she looked so cute when she was excited. "Do you like animated movies?"

"Yes," Catra grinned. "Disney and anime. They're the shit. And I watch big boy TV shows sometimes, but it has to follow certain... conditions. Unless it's exceptionally funny or it has a badass female lead."

"What are the conditions?" Adora asked.

Catra seemingly froze up. "You don't need to know."

"Oh," Adora felt like she had stepped over a boundary by accident. "Okay."

Entrapta noticed how awkward it became and cleared her throat. "I wanna watch Matrix."

"Well, I want to watch Love, Simon," Scorpia said.

"Oh, I want to watch that!" Catra said. She became enthusiastic again in the blink of an eye. 

"What's it about?" Adora asked.

"It's about a boy who's gay, but no one in real life knows," Entrapta explained. "And he basically falls in love with someone online and he has to figure out how to deal with both issues. We went to the premiere, and Catra was literally bawling throughout the movie."

"That's not true!" Catra growled. "Fuck you!"

"It really touched me, too," Scorpia said. "Coming out to everyone was a big issue for me, but the movie really helped and I ended up telling everyone. Whoever didn't accept it left, but I wasn't close to them anyway."

"Are you gay, Scorpia?" asked Adora. Catra seemed to be paying close attention to her reactions, for any sign of disgust.

"Pansexual, but yes," Scorpia replied. "That doesn't make you uncomfortable, right?"

"No, of course not!" Adora yelled. The other three looked at her in surprise. "S-Sorry, it's just...I get really mad when people think I'm uncomfortable about it."

"What about you, Adora?" Entrapta asked. 

"Um, I-I don't really-"

"Okay, let's watch the movie," Catra cut her off, realizing that while she didn't mind other people talking about it, she was hesitant when asked about it. Maybe she was questioning... no way. A girl like her had to be straight. She put on the movie and sat beside Adora.

They were almost finished the movie when Adora began to doze off. Without thinking, she rested her head on Catra's shoulder. The cat girl tensed up for a second, but didn't push her away. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who cares, the song Catra sang was "You Said You'd Grow Old With Me" by Michael Schulte.  
> also MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE


	6. Chapter 6

**Saturday, February 3, 2018**

Adora woke up in Catra's room, on her bed. Her candy-like scent was overpowering, and it took everything Adora had in her to not inhale the pillow. She sat up, still a bit groggy. Her head was pounding, and her throat felt even more sore. Her sneezes were worse today. Yup, she was definitely sick.

She realized that the cat girl was not in bed with her. _Not that she would've minded...no, no, no! Stop it!_

"Hey, Adora."

Catra leaned against the doorway, fully clothed. "Come downstairs for breakfast, if you're not gonna leave right away."

"Where did you sleep?" asked Adora.

"The couch downstairs," Catra replied.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to take up your bed," Adora apologized.

"Nah, it's cool," Catra shrugged. "I like the couch. Anyways, you-"

Adora sneezed. Catra raised her eyebrow. "You good?"

"I'm fi-" Adora began to cough violently. "Ugh, my head..."

"Gimme your phone," said Catra.

Adora handed it over to her, hoping she wasn't gonna do something like take a picture. After she finished tapping at the phone, she gave it back.

"What did you do?" Adora asked.

"Texted your mom that you're sick and staying at a friend's place."

"A _friend,_ huh?"

"You know what I mean."

"Seriously, am I, though?" Adora looked at her with pleading eyes. "C'mon, please?"

"Ugh, fine," Catra said. "Whatever makes you shut up."

" _Yes!"_ Adora sprang up and hugged the girl tightly. She let go because moving so quick made her a bit nauseous. "Thanks, Catra."

"Don't move like that," Catra said. "You're gonna get sicker. Lie down, I'm gonna go get a thermometer and shit. If you so much as move your ass, watch what I'm gonna do."

Adora squirmed in place. "Fight me."

"You wouldn't last 2 fucking seconds, loser," she flashed her fangs at her. "Now wait here."

She watched Catra go, unable to stop smiling. She finally got her to be her friend. Now she just needed to continue annoying her until they were best friends again.

Adora had to resist the urge to snoop around Catra's room. There were a few posters of rock bands on the walls, most of which she'd never heard of. On the dresser beside the bed there was a sketchbook. She picked it up and looked through it. Catra was actually really good at drawing.

"How can one person be so talented...?" Adora said to herself. One drawing fell out of the sketchbook. She picked it up and saw that it was an old, crumpled drawing of Catra and her. "She kept this..."

"Oy!" Catra growled when she saw her with the book. "Put that back on the table. _Now."_

Adora looked at her lazily. She felt really heavy and dizzy. "Why did you keep this?"

Catra sighed deeply. "You're obviously not in the right state of mind right now, so I guess I can't get _too_ fucking mad. I was considering tossing that away, but I decided not to because it's a reminder that there was a time when I was actually happy."

"Are you not happy now?" Adora asked.

"Don't worry about it," Catra sat down on the bed, causing Adora to move away in surprise. "Dude, relax, I'm not gonna fucking bite you or something. Here, drink this. It's chamomile."

Adora took a sip. "Thanks... So, are you *cough*! A-Are you saying you were happy when we were at the orphanage?"

"..." Catra looked away. "...I was...because I had you."

Adora reached to hold her hand. Catra looked at her and realized that she was crying. "I'm disgusting."

Catra didn't know how to deal with crying people. "W-What do you mean?"

"I didn't realize how hurt you were," Adora sobbed. "And I just went ahead and left you. I didn't say goodbye... I was so caught up with my happiness that I couldn't see that I was taking away your happiness...I _left_ you in such an awful place! W-What happened after I-"

"Hey," Catra said in a hesitant but soft voice. "Can you just...shut up about it? I'm fine, really. And... I mean, we were really young. I get that you were happy. It was okay for you to leave me. As the years passed, I realized that. I'm just hung up on the fact that, yeah, you never thought to say bye. But seriously, it's no big deal what happened after, not for you. I'm fucked up because of it, but _you_ don't need to worry about it."

At this point, Adora was beyond being rational. She gently cupped Catra's face with both hands and spoke with an quiet voice in-between the sobs, not noticing the blush on Catra's cheeks.

"What did she do to you?"

"Jesus, don't cry, Adora," Catra pushed her hands away as gently as she could. "I'm fine right now, okay? She's far away from me, and that should be enough to make you feel better. I don't want to tell you the things she's done because I'm not sure if I trust you yet. I really want to, though. So just drop the questions for now."

"Promise you'll tell me one day?" Adora asked, wiping her tears. 

"...Yeah, okay," Catra said. "Get some rest. I'm going downstairs, so if you need anything, text me."

Adora nodded. As soon as she lied back down she fell asleep again.

* * *

Entrapta eyed Catra who seemed to be in a trance as she took out pills from a kitchen cabinet. "You good?"

"Yeah, it's just time to take my pills," Catra replied. "Where's Scorpia?" 

"She left to get some milk," Entrapta replied. "Hey, can I sleep here again today?"

"Why can't you just sleep at your own house?" Catra grumbled as she swallowed the pills and some water. 

"It's _lonely!"_ Entrapta complained. "My uncle's not gonna be home for few more days, and I _need_ human interaction or I'm gonna go _nuts!"_

"Ugh, fine," Catra rolled her eyes. 

"How's Adora, by the way?" Entrapta asked.

"So sick she fell asleep again," Catra replied. She touched her face, remembering how Adora had done the same thing, and began to blush again.

"Why are you turning red?" 

"It's hot."

"Don't you mean _Adora_ is hot?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

* * *

Adora woke up to see Catra playing video games while sitting at the foot of the bed. She sneaked behind the cat girl and hugged her, eliciting the cutest noise Adora had ever heard her make. Catra went beat red and turned to scowl at the girl. "Fuck, at least give me a warning next time. You made me lose."

"Does that mean I can keep hugging you?" Adora asked.

"...Yeah."

Adora squeezed her again. "Yay!"

Catra chuckled. "Do you wanna play this with me?"

"I don't play games," Adora said after she sneezed. "But okay. What are you playing?"

"Injustice 2," Catra said. "If only DC could make movies half as well as they made games and shows. Hey, do you watch DC?"

"I like Marvel more," Adora said as she took the second controller. "Can't wait for Infinity War."

"If Peter dies, I'm gonna kill a bitch," Catra declared. "Choose your player."

They played three rounds. Adora won the first round, which seemed to motivate Catra even more, and she ended up winning.

"In your face!" Catra laughed victoriously. Adora would've gotten angry if she didn't see how happy the other girl was.

"I won the first round, though," Adora pouted.

"Yeah, yeah, good job," Catra said dismissively. "Still, I'm the winner, and that means I get to make you do something."

"I'm sick, you can't," Adora crossed her arms, thinking she was safe.

"I can still ask you questions," Catra smirked. 

Adora blinked. She could've asked her questions even without winning the game. She smiled at how Catra decided to find an excuse instead. "Okay, go ahead."

"Did you get nice parents?"

Adora thought that was the sweetest question she could've asked her. "Yeah, they're super kind. My mom always makes sure I've eaten well and she loved dressing me up as I was growing up, and my dad taught me how to play sports. They're also super accepting. I just wish they'd loosen up a bit and not worry about me so much."

"It's only cuz they love you," Catra said. "My new dad is pretty cool, but he only comes to visit every 2 months for like a week. That's why I've done a lot of shit that could probably have been prevented if he was around."

"Like what?" Adora asked.

"Not drinking and partying, if that's what you're thinking," Catra said. "I only go to few parties and I only drink a little bit, I only let myself drink heavily when I'm alone and super upset. No, I got into a ton of fights with nosey assholes from my old school who hate people like me."

"Why did they hate you?" Adora asked, relieved to learn that Catra wasn't one of those people who liked to go wild at parties. She already knew she wasn't the type of person to do that. 

"That's something else I'm not comfortable talking about," Catra admitted.

As much as Adora hated bring kept in suspense, she understood that opening up took time. "Okay, you don't have to explain. Tell me whenever you feel comfortable."

"Thanks for understanding, dude," Catra smiled softly, and to be quite honest, Adora was internally losing it.

"Adora," Entrapta said as she entered the room. "Your mother has entered the residence and she is walking up the steps and here she is it was delightful meeting you Mrs.Carrero!"

Adora had no idea what she was saying until her mom came into view. "Adora!" She ran over to her and put a hand on her forehead. "Oh, honey, you're burning up!"

Adora's mother had short frizzy black hair and blue eyes. She was only a bit shorter than Adora and was overall a pretty woman, Catra thought.

"H-How did you know where Catra's house was?" Adora asked.

"Well, you told me it was Scorpia's home as well," her mother replied. "I had her number from the parent-teacher meetings, and so I asked her for her address."

She turned to Catra with a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed. "You're Catra, yes? The one who ran to help Adora out when she got locked out of the house?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Catra replied.

"I can't thank you enough for going out of your way to help her," she smiled and gave Catra a hug. _Well, at least now I know why Adora keeps hugging me._

"You're welcome, Mrs.Carrero."

"Please," Adora's mother said. "Call me Amy. Adora, let's go home, sweetie. I'm sure you've taken up enough of Catra's time."

"It wasn't a problem!" Catra blurted out. "I didn't have much to do today anyway. Adora and I had fun, well, at least when she was awake."

Amy looked at Adora. "Now I understand why you used to talk about her so much. She's such a good person!"

Catra and Adora both blushed.

"Let's go now," Amy said, helping Adora get up. "Entrapta, Catra, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Amy!" Entrapta smiled.

"Get better soon, Adora," Catra said.

As soon as Adora and Amy got into the car, her mother started talking about Catra.

"She's perfect for you!"

_"Mom!"_

Catra watched them drive away from her room's window. Adora was so fortunate to end up living with such a nice lady. Good thing she remembered not to swear in front of her. And it seemed like she made a good first impression too, so that was relieving. She groaned when she remembered how she tried to justify how she liked Adora hanging out with her. It was pretty embarrassing, but she found the happy expression on Adora's face after she said that really cute. And the fact that Adora used to speak so highly of her put a smile on her face.

Maybe giving Adora a chance really was the right thing to do. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Sunday, February 4, 2018**

Since she had nothing else to do, Mermista decided to go swimming in the school pool, which happened to be open all the time, even on weekends. Swimming was something that calmed her down, and she certainly needed some calming down after the fight she had with her dad.

Mermista resurfaced from the water to see Seahawk staring back at her, grinning widely.

She groaned. "Seahawk, please don't tell me you're here to ask me out, because I am _not_ in the mood."

"Psht, no!" he said quickly, not convincing Mermista at all. "I'm here for the same reason you are, to swim, that's all. The boys' swim team has a competition tomorrow, so I thought I'd practice. However, I don't remember the girls' team having any competitions scheduled anytime soon, so what are _you_ doing here? Could it be destiny that's brought you here?"

"I'm here because I want to be," Mermista rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I was just about to leave."

Mermista was about to get out before Seahawk decided to jump into the water instead of using the ladder. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"H-Hey!" Mermista exclaimed. "Let me go!"

"Nope," he stated, ignoring her struggling. "Not until, my dear Mermista, you tell me why you were here. I know you only come here when something happens to you. What troubles you? You know you can tell me everything, even if you refuse to date me."

Mermista leaned back into his arms and sighed. "Why do you always have to be so pushy?"

"That's the only way you open up," Seahawk said. "Now come on, what's up?"

"I got into a fight with my dad," Mermista said quietly. "He's always talking about how I dont take responsibility for my actions and shit, and that I don't have any goal in my life. What does he know? All he cares about is my grades. He doesn't know what I'm passionate about. But it doesn't matter what I like, he wants me to become a lawyer or a doctor or something, just because that's what most people we know and most of my relatives pursue those fields. I want to be an underwater filmmaker which is apparently out of the question. This is the problem with being brown, no one cares about anything except 'impressing Chacha' or 'living up to Aamir Bhai'."

"Chacha and Aamir Bhai...?" Seahawk blinked.

Mermista giggled, making him blush. "Sorry, I forgot you weren't brown. 'Chacha' means younger paternal uncle and 'Aamir' is the name of my older cousin who's a doctor. I added 'bhai', which means brother, for respect."

"In Urdu, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Hey, you didn't say it in a completely white accent this time. You're learning quickly."

"Hey," he hugged her tighter. "Don't listen to your dad or your relatives. They're not you, and they have no idea what you're capable of. So follow your dreams, and show them all exactly how successful you can be, even if you're not following in their footsteps."

"...Thanks, Jordan," Mermista turned around to face him and smiled.

"Mermista," Seahawk said, smiling back. "How do you say 'I love you' in Urdu?"

"We usually say that in English, but if you wanna say it in Urdu, then you say 'Mujhy tumse pyaar hy'."

"Okay," he nodded, then looked her in the eyes. "Mujhy tumse pyaar hy."

Mermista blinked, then began to laugh. "Your accent is so white, _I can't!"_

"M-My accent isn't what matters," Seahawk splashed at her. "It's the words that count!"

Mermista splashed back, then put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I know. I love you too. Even if you act like such an idiot sometimes."

Seahawk kissed her again, not minding how her lips tasted like chlorine. He was happy he was able to cheer her up. The two stayed like that for a long time, before they broke apart so that Seahawk could actually start practicing. Mermista sat a chair and helped time him. Before they knew it, they had spent an hour there. But it was an hour well spent, they both thought.

* * *

"Glimmer, my leg _hurts."_

Bow and Glimmer were hanging out at Glimmer's place. They had invited Adora, but apparently the girl was sick. So they decided to facetime her.

"It's growing pains, Bow," Glimmer said as she called Adora. "You'll be fine."

A few seconds later, Adora picked up. "Hey guys."

"Wow, you look awful!" Bow gasped.

"Hi, Adora!" Glimmer said, rolling her eyes at Bow. "How are you doing?"

 _"My head hurts, but not as badly as yesterday,"_ Adora said after sneezing. 

"How did you get sick?" Bow asked.

 _"I got locked out my house and I was out in the cold for pretty long,"_ Adora replied.

"Dummy," Bow said. "Make sure you take your keys next time."

"Putting that aside," Glimmer smirked. "Any progress with Catra?"

"Yes, honey, spill that tea!" Bow clapped.

 _"Why are you guys curious about her all of a sudden?"_ Adora asked.

"We might be terrified of her," Bow replied. "But we support you on your quest to make her your friend."

 _"Aw, thanks, guys,"_ said Adora. _"Well, after I realized I didn't have my keys, I texted Perfuma but she was busy. She texted Entrapta who happened to be with Catra who came and picked me up. I had a lot of fun at their place, but then I got really sick and Catra was_ such _a sweetheart! She finally accepted the fact that I wasn't gonna leave her alone and she became my friend. Just thinking about it makes me so happy!"_

"Good to hear!" Glimmer smiled. "Even if you annoyed your way into the relationship, it's a start. What did you do over there?"

_"On Friday, I had pizza and we watched this nice movie called Love, Simon. Then the next day, when I was sick, Catra and I played a video game."_

"I thought you didn't play games," Bow said.

 _"I only played because I wanted to have fun with her,"_ Adora said. _"And it_ was."

"I wanna watch a movie," Glimmer said. "Bow, wanna go to the theater with me?"

"Sure," Bow grinned. "We're gonna go now. Hope you feel better soon, Adora."

 _"Thanks,"_ Adora said. _"Bye, you two. Have fun!"_

They all said goodbye and Adora logged off. Bow and Glimmer headed outside.

"It's cold," Bow shivered.

"Well, maybe if you wore an actual shirt," Glimmer pointed out. "And zipped up your jacket, it wouldn't be so cold."

"This _was_ a shirt," Bow retorted. "I turned it into a crop top. Never in my life will I wear a normal shirt. As for my jacket, the zipper is broken."

"Got an excuse for everything, huh?" Glimmer chuckled. "Here, have my scarf."

"Thanks, Glim-Jim," he said as she wrapped it around his neck.

"No problem, Bow-Joe," she replied. They got to the theater and decided to watch Maze Runner: The Death Cure. They already knew it was gonna be bad, but it was the only movie that seemed worth watching. Barely anyone was in the theater, so they got seats at the very top. 

"Bow," Glimmer said.

"What's up?" he said while munching on his hot dog.

"I think Adora has a crush on Catra."

He choked. _"What?!"_

"She was pretty obsessed with her when she first came here," Glimmer said. "She'd always look for her during lunch, she blushed when I asked her why she was staring at her in Phys.Ed that one time, _and_ she seemed pretty happy when she was telling us about how Catra came to take her to her house, and how they had so much fun. I'm not sure if I'm right, it's just a hunch..."

"But your hunches always prove to be right," Bow said. "Remember when you thought that Ms.Bennett was dating Mr.Grey, and you were _right?_ Or the time when you felt like Perfuma had slipped an extra dollar in your purse because she owed you but you wouldn't accept it, and you were _right again!"_

"Let's keep an eye on Adora tomorrow," Glimmer rubbed her hands together. "She's bound to show some signs of- OH MY GOD FRICKIN' TERESA WITH HER BONY ASS I SWEAR TO GOD!"

Bow realized they were actually watching a movie and turned his attention to it, still replaying all the moments that Adora would mention Catra.

Yeah, maybe she did like her.

* * *

Catra, Scorpia and Entrapta decided to go to the mall today. Well, it was more like Scorpia and Entrapta dragged Catra along. The cat girl hated malls.

"How does this shirt look, Catra?" Scorpia asked, holding up a shirt with a unicorn on it.

Catra grimaced. "Disgusting."

"I guess it's perfect then!" Scorpia smiled. "I'm gonna go change into it."

"Uh, wait," Catra said. "I'm coming with you."

"So am I," Entrapta said. "I have gathered all of the appealing clothing items and would like to try them out."

They went to the changing rooms. The employee standing there stared at Scorpia. Catra noticed this and growled at her.

"Excuse me," she said. "Is there a problem?"

The employee blinked. "Oh, I was just thinking... your friend over there, with the red claws. He's pretty cute. What's he doing with that shirt, though...?"

Catra crossed her arms. " _She. She's_ pretty cute."

The woman gasped. "T-That's a woman? But she looks like a man."

"But _nothing,"_ Catra scowled. "She's a beautiful woman, and she's probably the most fucking girliest person I've ever met. You need to stop making assumptions based on how people appear." 

Catra walked away from the dumbfounded employee and sat on the bench in front of the changing rooms. Once Entrapta and Scorpia were done, they bought their clothes and left the store. 

They went to the food court next. Entrapta and Scorpia bought burgers and despite Catra's refusal they brought her one too.

"I'm not gonna finish this, guys," Catra said.

"At least eat a little," Scorpia said. "You barely ate today. I'll eat whatever's left."

"I want the leftovers!" Entrapta said. "Let's arm wrestle over it."

"You're on!" Scorpia grinned. Catra watched the two fight over her burger and chuckled.

"I win!" Entrapta cheered.

"My claws have failed me," Scorpia sighed. She saw that Catra had taken three more bites and she gave her a pat on the head. "Good job."

Catra forced a smile. "Thanks."

As Scorpia and Entrapta debated over which BTS member was the best, Catra decided to check up on Adora.

 **Catra[5:50pm]:** yo

 **Catra[5:50pm]:** just want to make sure you're good today

 **Adora[5:51pm]:** aw thats so sweet of you, im better today but still sick

 **Catra[5:53pm]:** im not sweet i just dont fucking want your death on my hands

 **Adora[5:54pm]:** lol how do you always blow things way out of proportion

 **Catra[5:57pm]:** i just have a very overactive imagination its part of my charm

 **Adora[5:57pm]:** it sure is

 **Adora[5:58pm]:** so wyd?

 **Catra[6:00pm]:** scorpia entrapta and i are at the mall, i fucking hate malls but they dragged me with them

 **Adora[6:01pm]:** i dont like malls either

 **Adora[6:02pm]:** the rush is one thing but ive been subject to mean comments about how im slightly more muscular than every other girl more than once

 **Catra[6:03pm]:** oh my fuck, srsly?

 **Catra[6:03pm]:** just a sec ago we were in this store

 **Catra[6:03pm]:** scorpia and entrapta wanted to try some clothes and i caught the employee staring at scorpia

 **Catra[6:05pm]:** i asked her about it and she goes 'oh hes cute' and i said SHES cute and then she goes on to say how scorpia looks like a guy tho and i was just like

 **Catra[6:06pm]:** BITCH

 **Catra[6:06pm]:** I SAID SHE WAS A GIRL DAFUQ IS WRONG WITH YOUR EARS

 **Adora[6:07pm]:** wow how rude can people be

 **Adora[6:07pm]:** i love how you just dont care about what ppl think and you speak your mind, i cant do that

 **Catra[6:08pm]:** i stopped giving any fucks long ago, but like youre more careful about what you say so thats good

 **Adora[6:08pm]:** i still wish i could speak my mind more

 **Adora[6:09pm]:** what else are you doing?

 **Catra[6:09pm]:** waiting for them to finish their food and dying

 **Adora[6:09pm]:** lol did you eat too

 **Catra[6:10pm]:** yeah 

**Catra[6:11pm]:** theyre done so i gotta go now

 **Adora[6:12pm]:** i was very drowsy anyways so i think im gonna take a nap now

 **Adora[6:12pm]:** see you at school tom :)

 **Catra[6:13pm]:** you too

Catra turned off her phone and followed her friends to the next store, a bit less grumpy after talking to Adora. Guess the blonde still had a calming effect on her after all these years.

For once, her nostalgia wasn't acompanied by the feeling of pain.


	8. Chapter 8

**Tuesday, February 6, 2018**

Adora didn't come to school yesterday because her mother wanted her to rest a bit more. When she _did_ come, Glimmer and Bow decided to watch her whenever she interacted with Catra.

Catra seemed to be in a better mood today. Yesterday, she seemed very gloomy and everyone was afraid to even be near her.

"Could that have something to do with Adora being gone?" Bow asked Glimmer.

"I'm pretty sure that it does," Glimmer nodded. 

"Hey, Adora," Catra tapped her on the shoulder, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Hi, Catra!" Adora hugged her.

"You're definitely gonna crush me if you keep this up," Catra grumbled. Adora's hand brushed against her ear, making her flinch and blush. "Come on, let me go."

Adora released her. "I have Psychology right now. What about you?"

"Math," Catra groaned. "More specifically, Geometry. I literally don't understand _anything."_

"I can help you," Adora said. 

"Of course you can, nerd," Catra smirked. 

"Oh, shut up," Adora shoved her lightly. "What's your current mark?"

"A-," Catra said. She shrugged at Adora's surprised expression. "I'm good at it, I just don't get it. My teacher fucking sucks at explaining and I'm too lazy to review."

"Wow," Adora said. "I was expecting you to have, like, a C or something."

"The lowest mark I've ever gotten was a B," Catra said. "People just overlook me."

"Doesn't that mean you're a nerd, too?" Adora crossed her arms and grinned.

"Fuck off," Catra rolled her eyes and bit back a smile. "Are you gonna try explaining this crap to me or not?"

"Okay, okay," Adora chuckled. "Meet me in the library at lunch. We'll go over all your material."

"... _Wait!"_ Glimmer gasped as she watched them. "The library! Of course!"

"What?" Bow blinked.

"Cats, Bow," she said, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him close. "They have a specific body language that indicates what they're feeling! My aunt has a cat, and she's always doing weird things to show affection. We need to go to the library and get a book on cat body language at lunch. Then we'll find where they're sitting and compare Catra's actions to the stuff in the book!"

"You're a genius, Glimmer!" he exclaimed, pressing his hands to her cheeks and grinning. "Let's get to the bottom of this!"

* * *

Adora and Catra had gone to the library as planned. Bow and Glimmer decided to head there first and quickly found a book about cat behavior.

"Her tail is between her legs from behind," Bow said.

"Let's see..." Glimmer said as she flipped through the book. "She is... submissive. Basically she'll do whatever Adora wants, I guess?"

Meanwhile, Adora began teaching Catra.

"Explain the cosine law," Catra requested.

"Sure," Adora smiled, brushing up against her as she leaned to point to the paper. "You actually used it correctly for this question, but I'll explain further."

"Please do," Catra said, staring at Adora's hand which was about to touch her's.

"Cosine law is used to find the remaining parts of an oblique triangle when either the lengths of two sides and the measure of the included angle is known or the lengths of the three sides are known," Adora said. "You know the formula, right?"

"Yup," Catra nodded. "Wow, Mr. Wood sure loves complicating this stuff."

"I'm supposed to be having him for Math next semester," Adora sighed.

"Some free advice: learn it by yourself this semester so you don't have to fucking die," Catra said.

They were about to get back to their work when Catra's tail brushed up against Adora's spine, making her jolt upright and gasp. Adora and Catra stared at each other, their faces becoming progressively redder.

"Fuck, sorry!" Catra exclaimed. "I-I wasn't trying to-"

"N-No, it's okay!" Adora stammered. "I should have more control over myself."

"No, _I'm_ the one who should control my stupid tail and my stupid feelings," Catra grumbled.

"Feelings?" Adora blinked again.

Catra blushed even more, if that was even possible. "I didn't mean it like that. It's... kinda weird to explain."

Adora held her hand, making her tense up. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine."

"No, I'll just say it," Catra sighed. "I'm already not telling you so much, and this is more embarrassing than everything else. So, uh, girls get periods, yeah?"

"Yes...?"

"Well, clearly, I'm not a regular girl," Catra said, pointing to her ears. "I don't get periods. Instead, for 5 days a month, I go through this little thing called _estreus."_

"What's that?" Adora asked.

Catra's voice got quiet. "It's... It's heat."

Everything became silent. Even Bow and Glimmer sat at the other table in shock.

"Shit, I'm so pathetic," Catra mumbled. 

"N-No, you're not," Adora patted her back apologetically. "So, right now, you're..."

"Yeah."

"And you did that because you feel..."

"Yeah."

"Aw, Catra," she reached to hug her, but Catra quickly rejected her.

"That makes it worse," Catra said, her face flushed. "Look, can we just finish this? I have pills to lessen the effects but Scorpia won't be able to bring them till later and I really want to get this over with before I end up doing something to you that you don't want."

 _I wouldn't mind...Wait, no, stupid brain,_ Adora thought. "Alright, we'll finish the lesson. Just make sure you take your pills."

Catra smiled at her weakly. "I will."

* * *

Kyle had been paired up with Catra for Bio today. He was pretty happy about that. It meant that he didn't have to deal with Rio or any of the jocks that took this class too.

"Kyle, lemme copy off the last note," she said.

"Okay," he said, a bit embarrassed at how enthusiastic he sounded. 

"Hey, uh, you're dating someone, right?" Catra asked.

"What?" Kyle blinked. That came out of nowhere. "Y-Yeah, Rogelio, the lizard boy who used to be at the same orphanage as us. He's in Brazil, though. Why?"

"He treats you well, right?" Catra raised an eyebrow.

"O-Of course," Kyle replied. "He's very sweet. He loves sports but he's not a jerk like all the other guys here."

"That's good," Catra nodded. "Can never be too sure. When I heard _you_ were in a relationship, I was worried you might've been forced into something abusive. You're such a weakling and most guys are so awful."

"Thanks for worrying, Catra," he smiled, too grateful that she cared to notice how she had called him weak. "Rogelio couldn't hurt a fly, don't worry."

"You're like a brother to me, Kyle," Catra shrugged. "We grew up together. I gotta watch out for you in case you fuck up like the stupid twink that you are, y'know?"

"You thought of us as siblings?" Kyle said, feeling even more happy. "Even Lonnie?"

"She was like the annoying older sister," Catra said. "Now she's just a bitch."

"Adora?"

Catra's face became flushed. "...Erm...I don't really view her as a sister..."

"What do you see her as, then?" Kyle asked, writing down notes.

"I..." Catra scratched her ears. "...A friend. Yeah."

Kyle stopped taking notes and finally realized how red she had become. "Catra, are you okay?"

"Peachy," Catra muttered sarcastically. She began to take notes as well. It wasn't until after the teacher finished explaining a concept when it hit Kyle.

"Catra!" he half yelled, half whispered as he grabbed her by the shoulder. "Do you have a crush on Adora?"

"What?!" she whisper-yelled back. Her blush had resurfaced, convincing Kyle even more. "F-Fuck no!"

"I swear I won't tell her," Kyle reassured her. "You can count on me. I'm great at keeping secrets."

"Um," Catra bit her lip. "I don't really...know...?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Shit, do I have to explain it to you, too?" Catra groaned. "If you tell anyone, Kyle, I _swear-"_

"I _won't!_ " Kyle insisted. " _Please,_ Catra?"

"Okay, fine," Catra rubbed her temples in frustration. "Girls all have periods. Except me. For five days every month, I go through heat, also known as estreus. And every time Adora does _anything_ or touches me I go _fucking crazy!_ I can't tell if I'm just horny or if I actually like her, so I'm gonna wait for my heat to finish. That way my feelings will be easier to identify. Got it?"

Kyle processed all that for a minute and blushed. "Oh...Well if it turns out you _do_ like her, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, I guess," she grumbled. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah, uh," Kyle rubbed his neck. "Does heat hurt? And is there anything I can do to help?"

"It does hurt after a while," Catra nodded. "And there really isn't anything you can do for me, unless you're willing to fuck me."

Kyle almost dropped his pencil, making Catra cackle. "Joking, joking. I wouldn't want to have sex with someone as submissive as you, anyway."

"Oh, thank god," Kyle chuckled. "I'm a total bottom, not gonna lie. Rogelio made me fully aware of that."

"Oh my fucking god, Kyle."

* * *

Catra caught up with Adora after school. She felt like she had been trying to talk to her a lot more lately. Hopefully, Adora didn't mind.

"Hey, Adora," Catra said.

"Hi, Catra!" Adora smiled softly. "Are you heading home, now?"

"Yeah," Catra replied. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted me to drop you off again."

"Oh, that's nice of you to offer," Adora smiled even wider. "But I actually have soccer practice so I'm not going home right away."

"I can wait," Catra blurted out. She winced at how desperate she sounded.

"What about Entrapta and Scorpia?" Adora asked.

"They can walk," Catra smirked.

"If I didn't know any better," Adora smirked back. "I'd say you're looking for a way to spend some time with me."

Catra growled at her. "Fuck no, I'm just being nice. Fine, if you don't want me to stay, I'm gonna go home."

She was about to walk away when Adora grabbed her arm. "Wait, Catra. I was just making sure you're okay with it. _Of course_ we can head home together. If you're willing to wait."

"Yeah, I am," Catra nodded, proud that she managed to convince her. They headed to the soccer field where Adora's teammates had already arrived. Catra went to go sit on the bleachers.

After 10 minutes, while Catra was scrolling through her phone, she heard Netossa yell out her name. She looked up in confusion and realized that the ball had been kicked off the field and was heading for her. She wasn't able to get out of the way and ended up getting hit right in the face.

The back of her head hit the seat behind her. Everything became blurry because of the tears that were induced by the pain.

Adora quickly ran to her side and lifted her up princess-style, causing Catra to forget about the throbbing she felt and instead focus on covering her beat-red face. Adora ran to the school infirmary as quick as she could.

"Nurse Razz!" she yelled. Apparently, the nurse had left for the day. Adora sighed and set down Catra on the bed. She then proceeded to rummage through the cabinets to treat Catra's bloody nose. Catra tried to get up, but she pushed her back down. "Don't even think about it."

"No, I'm not running away," Catra rolled her eyes. "I think the back of my head is bleeding too. Just wanted to check."

Sure enough, the pillow had traces of blood on it. "I'm so sorry, Catra! Usually I focus on keeping the ball on the field, but then my foot slipped and it..."

"It's okay," Catra winced as she touched the back of her head. "I've been through _way_ worse."

Adora stopped leaning in to wipe away her blood and looked at her. "Like what?"

"Like the many beatings I would get at that shithole orphanage," Catra retorted. "Oh, and I got into this big car accident once and my skull got fractured. And there was this one time Entrapta dared me to ride my bike on some rocky trail and I fell and broke my tailbone. And there are many other times I hurt myself but they're fucking hilarious when I think about it now."

Adora spoke in a quiet but shaky voice. "I wish murder was legal so that I could go kill that old bitch for what she's done..."

"W-Whoa," Catra stared at her with wide eyes. That was the first time she had ever heard Adora curse. It was... kind of hot. "Never heard you swear before... anyways, chill, dude. I've gotten stronger from that stuff. Don't kill anyone for me, okay?"

"I would if you asked me to, y'know," Adora replied, looking extremely serious. "I won't ever let anyone hurt you. Not after what I did to you."

Catra blushed. "Fuck, Adora. I'm okay now, you don't need to-"

Adora pressed her finger to her lips. "Yes, I do. Now shut up so I can clean your face."

Catra sat in silence as Adora did just that. It was awkwardly silent, Adora thought, so she cleaned her up as quickly as she could.

"I'm done," Adora said. "Can you stand up?"

Catra got up, albeit a bit shakily. "Alright, I'm all patched up, so can we please go now? I hate the infirmary."

"Why?" asked Adora.

"I've been in 'em too many times," Catra shrugged. "Doesn't feel right."

"I get it," Adora nodded "Let's get out of here, then."

* * *

They reached Adora's house faster than usual. Instead of hugging her goodbye, Adora just waved and smiled. Catra was thankful that she remembered the little discussion in the library. 

"Hey," Adora tapped on the window from outside after getting out. Catra lowered it.

"Forget something?" Catra asked. "Don't tell me you don't have your keys again."

"I have them this time," Adora rolled her eyes. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come inside the house. No one's home right now."

"Uh," Catra blinked. "Sorry, I have plans today."

"Oh," Adora said, looking disappointed. "Okay then."

Catra noticed and scratched her head. "Sorry, dude. How about Sunday?"

Adora perked up. "O-Okay! Sure! What time?"

"Well, I did have a nap scheduled from 10a.m. to 4p.m.," Catra said, causing Adora to roll her eyes again. "But I guess I can cancel it and come over at 10a.m. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds great," Adora nodded, a wide smile on her face. "Bye, Catra."

Catra drove off, happy with the outcome. She still felt a bit guilty for lying to her, though. She didn't actually have plans, she just wanted to wait until her heat was over. If she ended up doing something to Adora, she'd never forgive herself.

"Jesus," Catra growled. "Fuck you, cat functions."


	9. Chapter 9

**Friday, January 9, 2018**

As soon as Catra had gotten home from school, she took a nap that happened to last till 8 p.m. Upon waking up, she immediately sensed that something was wrong.

She crept to the front door. It was locked tight, and there were no signs of a break-in. Her pupils dilated and her ears flattened against her skull as she paced back and forth, wondering why she felt like there was someone else in the area.

All of a sudden, she was grabbed from behind. She yowled and tried to kick whoever it was. "Get off of me, asshole!"

"Actually," the stranger chuckled, and Catra immediately recognized her voice. "You can call me Carmen."

She let her go, allowing Catra to turn around and look her redhead friend in the eye. Carmen Sandiego hadn't changed since she had last seen her 2 months ago aside from a new nose piercing and a less tattered red hoodie. 

"Why can't you ever use the fucking window like a normal person?" Catra hissed. 

"I'm not normal, that's the thing," Carmen grinned. "Sorry I haven't been in contact for a while. My uncle decided to take our family on a trip to the Canary Islands. Nice place, but the throwback to the past was a bit weird for me."

When Carmen was a baby, her Uncle Shadowsan had found her abandoned in Argentina. He decided to take her back to where he worked, V.I.L.E Academy. Carmen was taught everything she knew about the outside world by the many instructors there, like the geographical layout of the world, the history behind everything, and how to become a thief. When Carmen turned 12, she was enrolled in the Academy. After a while, Shadowsan decided to take her and run away as he knew that soon she would be forced to do something she'd rather not do. He found her a family in Canada, Ontario, and when she turned 14 she moved to Minnesota with him, but still remains in contact with her adoptive family. Catra and her met in Grade 9, and had been close friends since.

Catra grunted. "You crashing here for a bit, or...?"

"Yeah, kinda have to lay low for a while," Carmen giggled. "I may have pissed off a certain Inspector Devineaux by, um, painting a dick on his car."

Catra blinked at her, then slowly clapped. "Wow. It's like you _want_ him to catch you."

"I'm too slick for him," Carmen declared proudly.

"God, you're crazy," Catra bit back a smile. "Anything exciting happen lately?"

"No, not really," Carmen said as she reached into the cabinet for some Oreos. "Oh, but I _am_ going to your school starting Monday."

"Seriously?" Catra said. "Awesome. Why'd you transfer?"

"Everyone at my current school's a bitch," Carmen shrugged. "Gray's okay, but everyone else is a bitch. Especially Sheena."

"Graham, right?" Catra said. "Didn't he hit his head? Is he okay now?"

"Yeah, he forgot a lot of stuff though," Carmen said sadly. "Even though I don't talk to him much, it seems like he's doing fine."

"That's good," Catra nodded. "Carm, you should try not to close yourself from us, y'know. Player misses talking to you. The kid called me like 5 fucking times last week, asking if you were around."

"I know," Carmen sighed. "A lot's been going on, and I just need to get back into my daily routine, I guess."

"You do that," Catra said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"So," Carmen smirked. "Got a girlfriend yet?"

Catra's tail shot up. "No."

"Your tail tells me otherwise, KitKat," Carmen raised an eyebrow.

"She's not my girlfriend," Catra grumbled. "She's just a friend."

"Sure," Carmen chuckled. "Whatever you say."

Scorpia stumbled down the stairs moments later. "Who's here?!"

"Whoa," Carmen blinked. "Put the knife down, Skor Bar, it's me, Carmen."

"Ohhhh," Scorpia fumbled with the knife. "Whoopsies. Hi, Carmen!"

"Why do you have a knife with you?" Catra asked.

"I'm opening a package full of rainbow socks that I ordered on Wish," Scorpia replied. "I can't do it with my claws because i had a manicure the other day."

"That makes sense," Carmen said. "Anyways, let's go upstairs and watch something."

They didn't end up watching anything because Carmen fell asleep as soon as she lied down on the bed.

* * *

**Sunday, February 11, 2018**

Adora had woken up at 8:30 a.m., an hour and a half before Catra was supposed to arrive. She brushed her teeth and took a shower, then headed downstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen unpacking groceries.

"Morning, Mom," Adora said. "What's all that for? I thought we bought groceries on Friday."

"These are just a couple of extra snacks for you and your friend to enjoy," Amy smiled. "Think of it as compensation for me having to leave early for work."

"It's okay," Adora smiled back. "By the way, is Dad coming home soon?"

"He should be here by next week," Amy replied. "The trip is taking longer than he thought it would. But he'll be back soon."

"Cool," Adora grinned. "I'm gonna go change now. Bye, Mom!"

"Have fun today, mi corazón," Amy said.

Adora got out a light pink hoodie, a white t-shirt, and light gray pants. She put them on and tied up her hair, then checked the time. 9:10 a.m. She still had 50 minutes to kill.

* * *

"Fuck off..." Catra groaned as Carmen dragged her out of bed by the legs. "It's Saturday, why are you bothering me...? _Cabrón..._ "

"You better wash out that mouth of yours before you go to your friend's place," Carmen hit her head lightly.

"...Huh?" Catra groggily muttered, sitting up straight. "Friend?"

"Did you forget?" Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Skor Bar says you're supposed to head to someone's house at 10. If that's the case, then you only have like 30 minutes to get ready, and I'm not including the amount of time it'll take you to go there, so..."

Catra jumped up. "Shit shit _shit!_ I forgot!"

She ran to the washroom and freshened up quickly, then went to her closet and rummaged through her clothes frantically. 

"Need some help, KitKat?" Carmen asked. 

"Yeah," Catra said. "Panic at the Disco! sweater or the Venom sweater?"

"One makes you look like a band nerd," Carmen said. "The other one makes you look like a Marvel nerd. Maybe wear something that looks like you have a sense of style."

"Shut up," Catra growled.

"I'm just saying," Carmen walked over the closet and looked through Catra's clothes. "That as someone who stops thieves in high heels and a red coat, I think I'm more than qualified to determine what kind of outfit makes a good first impression. And since this is probably your first time going to their house, you need to make yourself look presentable."

"You're really good at that, by the way," Catra said. "The whole 'vigilante' thing. You've probably caught more crooks than Chase Devineaux himself."

"What can I say?" Carmen smirked smugly. "Takes a thief to catch a thief. And I was _raised_ by thieves... Oh, hey, this seems like a good outfit for the occasion."

Carmen pulled out a black denim jacket, a black beanie and a maroon turtleneck. She also managed to find a pair of jeans that wasn't ripped. 

"That'll work," Catra said. "Thanks."

Catra quickly changed and was ready by 9:47 a.m. Carmen waved her goodbye as she got into her car and drove away. She reached Adora's house in time, and parked her car in the driveway. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Adora's mother.

"Buenos días," Catra said.

"Hola, mi hija," Amy smiled. "I was just heading out for work. Adora is upstairs."

"Oh, okay," Catra nodded. "Have a good day, Amy."

"You too, dear," Amy said as she left. Catra took of her shoes and slowly crept upstairs. She sniffed the air to try to pinpoint exactly which room Adora was in, which was a bit difficult since her scent was already all over the place, but she managed to figure out which room was Adora's. She knocked on the door.

Adora opened it and smiled when she saw Catra. "Hi, Catra!"

"Hey, Adora," Catra said. "Not gonna lie, I almost forgot that I had to be here."

Adora giggled. "Well, I'm glad you made it. Come in."

Adora's room was pretty normal. She a had a picture of Catra and her on her bed stand from when they were young.

"Um, what's that?" Catra blinked. 

Adora blushed. "I kept it from when we were kids."

"Wow," Catra said softly as she looked at it. "I remember this. We snuck out of the orphanage to go watch the sunset. Those were fun times..."

"Yeah," Adora smiled at her. "So, I was thinking we could just talk about stuff and after we can watch a movie and pig out."

"Love the second part of your plan," Catra grinned. "But what d'you mean 'talk about stuff'?" 

"Just random stuff," Adora said as she sat down on her bed. Catra sat on the rug beside it. "We've been apart for so long, and I feel like there's so much I don't know about you."

"Oh," Catra said. "Alright. You ask a question, then, 'cause I don't have any in mind."

"When's your birthday?" Adora asked. "I know it was in October, I just don't remember what day."

"The 28th," Catra said. "Yours?"

"January 19," Adora said. "Hah, I'm older than you."

Catra kicked her lightly. "Shut the fuck up. I'm still the one who can drive."

"I don't have time to get a license," Adora shrugged. "And my parents would never let me drive till I'm 20 anyway. They're pretty protective over me."

"They care," Catra said. "Ok, uh, what's your favorite thing to eat?"

"Ice cream," Adora said. "Preferably vanilla."

"I don't really like sweet stuff," Catra said.

"Why?" asked Adora.

"Can't taste it well," Catra replied, sticking her tongue out. "It's a cat thing."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Adora said. "What else can you do that cats can do?"

Catra thought about it for a bit. "I can retract my claws, my senses are heightened, I can see in the dark, I have fast reflexes..."  


Adora tilted her head. "What about that time the ball hit you in the face?"

"I was busy on my phone," Catra said. "Having a pretty heated conversation with Entrapta about how Star Wars is superior to fucking Star Trek. I'm usually quick to avoid getting hit."

"I heard that there are certain spots that cats like being scratched," Adora said. "Like under the chin and under the ears. Do you?"

"Yeah, but I never had anyone scratch me," Catra shrugged. "Maybe you did once. I dunno."  


"If you're okay with it," Adora mumbled. "Could I...?"

Catra took a second to realize what the blonde was asking. "Uh... I don't really like people touching me."

"Oh," Adora said. "That's fine. You never were that clingy."

"Sorry," Catra smiled apologetically. "So what's the big deal with all the trophies?"

Catra pointed to the shelf next to Adora's desk, which was stock full of trophies.

Adora smiled out of embarrassment. "I won a lot of competitions. The ones on the bottom are from long ago and the ones at the top are from now."

"Lit," Catra said. "Got any more questions about cat stuff?"

"Do you have fur anywhere?"

Catra laughed. "I do have some on my back. And on my lower region."

"Doesn't it get hot?" Adora asked.

"Yeah but I just trim it if I feel like it's too much," Catra shrugged. "Comes in handy during winter."

"Wow," Adora gazed at her. "You sure are an interesting creature."

"Replace 'interesting' with 'filthy' and other people have said the same thing," Catra said, amused.

"How could anyone say that?" Adora puffed her cheeks in anger. 

"Chill, pufferfish," Catra snorted a little. "I really couldn't give less of a fuck about what they say. My old school was trash and so was everyone there, save for like 2 or 3 of my old friends."

"I like that," Adora said. "How you're so carefree and how you don't take anyone's negative opinions about you to heart. I wish I was like that."

"Trust me, you don't," Catra sighed. "Never say that you would. There's a lot of things about me that would make you regret thinking like that if I told you what they are."

"Try me," Adora crossed her arms in defiance. Catra found it both annoying and cute at the same time.

"If I tell you one, will you shut up for now?"

Adora frowned. "Fine."

"I have anxiety," Catra said.

Adora's expression softened. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't say that, it's stupid," Catra smirked. "Besides, it's only halfway serious nowadays. I was worse last year. I couldn't do presentations without getting dizzy, I was always on edge, and I was always tired. I used to hate Phys.Ed because the gym was so huge and that made me feel like everyone focused on me. The only thing I have now because of my anxiety that still affects me is insomnia. And I'm still always tired."

"Do you take meds for it?" Adora asked.

"Yeah, to calm my nerves," Catra replied. "Although I don't use them very often because my condition is kind of improving. I take sleeping pills sometimes, but I feel like they've stopped working for me."

"No wonder you always look like you're ready to just take a nap," Adora said, earning a chuckle from Catra.  "Anything else you'd like to tell me, or d'you wanna watch the movie now?"

"Nah, I think that's enough for now," Catra chuckled. "What movie are we watchin'?"

"Wanna watch Beauty and the Beast?" asked Adora.

"Sure."

* * *

While watching the movie, Catra started to point out things she found interesting.

"I can totally relate to the Beast," she said as she ate her cheetos.

"In what way?" asked Adora.

"Like his temper," Catra said. "People can be so fucking annoying sometimes. It's not his fault he snaps, dude's been through a lot."

"Sometimes you need to take a deep breathe and step back," Adora said. "Assess the situation and if it's worth wasting your energy on. No point in getting mad if all anyone will think is that you're a rude person."

Catra glanced at her. "You really are like Belle."

Adora giggled. "Have you realized the implications of comparing us to Belle and the Beast?"

Catra blinked, then blushed. "Oh...s-shut up."

Adora continued to giggle as Catra curled up into a ball, embarrassed over the comparison. She quietly sang along to every song, causing Adora to strain her ears to listen. She sang along as well, even if she wasn't very confident in her abilities.

Catra smiled. "You're a good singer."

"Really?" Adora smiled back. "Thanks, but you're way better."

The cat girl shrugged. "When someone says you're good, you don't need to deny it and try boosting their ego. I already have a big enough one as it is."

Adora laughed at that. "Alright then. We're both good."

"Exactly," Catra hummed, satisfied that the blonde took her words into account right away.

* * *

Catra slipped on her shoes and headed out the door, waving bye to Adora.

"I had more fun today than I've had in a long time," Adora smiled.

"I'm glad I didn't disappoint," Catra winked. "See you at school, Adora."

"Wait."

Catra turned around. Adora handed her a journal.

"What's this?" Catra tilted her head in confusion.

"My fifth grade journal," Adora said, her cheeks pink. For what, Catra didn't know. "I want you to read it. T-There's something in there you need to see."

"Ooh, a glimpse into the mind of 10 year old Adora," Catra smirked. "I'll be sure to read every single line. I gotta go now, see ya, Adora."

"Bye, Catra," Adora said, watching the girl as she walked away. Hopefully that journal would get her message across.


End file.
